CHAPTER XXV
From the Recommencement of Hostilities to the Treaty of Tilsit.
THE treaty of Amiens was little better than a hollow truce; and many disputes arising respecting its fulfillment, the war was resumed. In open violation of the law of nations, Bonaparte immediately commanded the arrest of all the English whom business or pleasure had drawn into France. Hanover was invaded and plundered; and an immense force was collected on the French coast for the avowed purpose of annihilating the British power: but this, as before, proved an empty boast. Holland being placed under the control of France was dragged into the war and soon lost her colonies. St. Domingo threw off its forced allegiance to France, and Dessalines, the successor of Touissant, was made president of the republic of Hayti, the ancient name of the island. The English at this time were very successful in India, under the government of the marquis of Wellesley.
The personal ambition of Bonaparte was every day more evident, and he at length resolved to annihilate the republic and crown himself with an imperial diadem. Having procured the assassination of the duke d'Enghien, and by the basest arts impressed on the minds of the people an idea that treasonable practices were carrying on against him, the servile senate, desirous, as they said, of investing him with the highest title of sovereignty, in order the more effectually to establish his authority, proclaimed him emperor of the French-a title which was acknowledged immediately by all the sovereigns of Europe, Great Britain and Sweden alone excepted: A. D. 1804.
During the following year Bonaparte assumed the iron crown of Lombardy, under the title of king of Italy, which aroused the indignation of Francis II., who united with England and Russia. But an event which of all others was most calculated to raise the hopes of the allies was the unexampled victory gained by Nelson off Trafalgar (Oct. 21) over the combined fleets of France and Spain.
In Germany the Austrian army was doomed to suffer great loss. At the head of 140,000 soldiers, Napoleon crossed the Rhine; and at Ulm, the Austrian general Mack surrendered his whole force, consisting of 140,000 men. Vienna was soon after entered by Napoleon, and at length the Austrians were completely defeated at the battle of Austerlitz. This induced Francis to sue for peace, and a treaty was concluded at Presburg, by which he ceded to France the states of Venice, and resigned the Tyrol, etc., to the newly created king of Wirtemburg.
Early in 1806 the English retook the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch. About the same time Naples was invaded by the French, and Napoleon gave his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, the crown of that kingdom, its legitimate sovereign having previously retired to Sicily. Holland was also erected into a kingdom, and given to his brother Louis. Amidst these and other important changes for the aggrandizement of his family, Bonaparte formed the "confederation of the Rhine," the name given to those states whose rulers renounced the ancient laws of the empire. The continued encroachments of France now roused the king of Prussia, who rushed precipitately into a war, and imprudently staked his fortune on the chance of one battle. This was the celebrated battle of Jena, where 110,000 Prussians and Saxons contended with 150,000 of the French, and were defeated and closely pursued. Berlin fell into the hands of the victors, and the Prussian general Blucher, after a brave resistance was forced to capitulate: Prince Hohenlohe and his army surrendered at Prentzlau. Silesia was overrun by the French, who penetrated into Poland and excited the Poles to assert their independence. The Russians, who were now advancing, met and defeated the French at Pultusk; and, notwithstanding the combined efforts of Murat, Lasnes and Ney, they were also successful at Golomyn. In the insolence of power, Napoleon, at Berlin, issued his famous decree, prohibiting all commercial intercourse with the British isles, and commanding the confiscation of every article of British manufacture; which scheme of exclusion he dignified with the name of the "continental system."
The grand Russian army under Benningsen encountered a superior French force near Eylau, where a sanguinary but indecisive conflict ensued. Dantzic surrendered to Lefevre; and a complete victory, gained by the French at Friedland, was shortly followed by the treaty of Tilsit. The Russians and Prussians submitted to all the imperious demands of Napoleon; but Gustavus, king of Sweden, alone refused to treat with him, or to recognize his imperial dignity. The Danes having yielded to the influence of France, an expedition was sent thither by England for the purpose of preventing the Danish fleet from falling into the hands of the French. Copenhagen surrendered after a few days' siege, and the ships and naval stores were delivered to the English. This act of aggression was resented by the emperor of Russia, who declared war against England. Among other remarkable events of this year were the departure of the prince regent of Portugal and his court to the Brazils; the conquest of Portugal by the French, and the erection of Saxony into a kingdom.