the two power blocs. Napoleon regarded the answer as more of an insult
than serious diplomacy. Some historians have claimed that, since
Alexander was prepared to revoke his ban on French luxury goods,
reimpose the blockade on British ships and withdraw his protest about
the Duchy of Oldenburg, Napoleon was not justified in regarding the
note as a casus belli, but this is naive. Alexander had no qualms about war,
for he thought he could win.
The screws were turned on the Prussians and Austrians to provide
fighting men for the Russian front. They acquiesced and a 30,000-strong
Austrian army under Schwarzenburg actually fought in the campaign
after Metternich advised the Austrian Emperor that he had no choice but
to comply. Frederick William of Prussia was forced to provide zo,ooo
troops and huge quantities of stores or face the occupation of Berlin by
the French. But the Austrians and Prussians also secretly advised
Alexander that they were simply acting under duress and would bide
their time until they could openly proclaim an alliance with Russia.
Napoleon's overtures to Britain also ran into the sand. He proposed
peace in Spain on the basis that Portugal would be restored to the
Braganzas and Sicily given to Ferdinand, ex-King of Naples, provided
Joseph remained as King of Spain. Since the British already held
Portugal and Sicily, they could not understand what was supposed
to be in the deal for them, and replied firmly that Ferdinand must be
restored at once as King of Spain before negotiations could even begin.
The truth is that they were beginning to grow confident that they
could win the Peninsular War anyway, especially if Napoleon was busy
in Russia.
Other diplomatic developments in the first half of r8r2 were equally
disastrous for France. Chafing under the Continental System and the
insulting French occupation of Swedish Pomerania in January r8r2, the
Swedish nobility put pressure on their new King. With Bernadotte on
the throne, they were preaching to the converted. At last he had the
chance for revenge on the man who had humiliated him so many times.
With singular relish Bernadotte brought Sweden over to the Russian
side in April r8rz, after securing a Russian promise to help him
conquer Norway. Yet another body blow for Napoleon was the
Treaty of Bucharest in May r8rz, making peace between Russia and
Turkey. In the space of a month Alexander had secured both his
northern and southern flanks and could concentrate all his forces against
Napoleon in the centre.
On 9 May r8r2 Napoleon left St-Cloud with Marie-Louise and set out
for Dresden, accompanied by three hundred carriages conveying an
marcin
(Marcin)
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