1807       


Austria's involvement in the Third Coalition against France in 1805 and Napoleons subsequent victory at Austerlitz, cost Austria dearly. Tyrol was lost to Bavaria and Venice was taken by Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy. A year later a Fourth Coalition was forged. Russia, Saksony and Prussia tried their hand at defeating Napoleon. A number of South-western German States sided with France and formed The Confederation of the Rhine, thus seceding from the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II, abdicated and abolished the thousand year old Empire of Charlemagne in 1806. As he had taken his precautions, he still emerged as Emperor Francis I of Austria, a title he had taken two years earlier. Thus the bizarre episode of the two overlapping Empires ended.

The Fourth Coalition predictably failed. Prussia and Saksony suffered disastrous defeat at the battles of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806. Saksony made a separate peace with Napoleon and was elevated to a Kingdom. Prussia was decimated. Berlin itself was occupied and the Residence moved to Königsbergen. Prussia lost all territory west of the Elbe river and most of its Polish territories. Out of these Polish territories the Grandduchy of Warsaw was carved. This was an attempt by Napoleon to placate the Poles who had lost their state at the hands of Prussia, Russia and Austria. The Crown of this Grandduchy was given to the newly befriended King of Saksony. Sakson Electors had been Kings of Poland for most of the eighteenth century. Out of Prussia’s lost West Elbian territories, the lands of some minor allies of Prussia, like the Elector of Hesse-Cassel and the Prince of Orange-Nassau, and some territories traded with Bavaria, three new states were forged. The Kingdom of Westphalia was given to Napoleon’s brother Jerome. The Grandduchy of Frankfurt was given to Napoleon’s stepson Eugene de Beauharnais, a son of the Empress Josephine from her first marriage. The Grandduchy of Berg was given to Napoleon’s Marshall and brother in law, Joachim Murat. Murat also became King of Naples in 1808, replacing Napoleon’s brother Joseph who was given Spain instead.

The Confederation of the Rhine now comprised all German states except Prussia and Austria, and the Swedish ruled Duchy of Nearer-Pomerania. Hanover was occupied by France and later split between France and the new Kingdom of Westphalia. The Confederation was nominally presided over by a Prince-Primate, the Archbishop of Mainz, the only ecclesiastical Prince remaining. But Napoleon was made Protector of the Confederation, making it a virtual client state of France.

Emperor Alexander I of Russia joined in a brief alliance with Napoleon. It was his influence alone that spared Prussia from total disbandonment.