AQA · A-Level · History

    Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017

    Challenges to the Empire: the continental blockade; the Peninsular War;…

    Full specification wording

    2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815 (A-level only) – The impact of Napoleon's rule on Europe, 1799–1815: Challenges to the Empire: the continental blockade; the Peninsular War; the Austrian campaign; the Russian campaign; the war of the Fourth Coalition

    Napoleon's Empire faced severe challenges that drained its resources.

    Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 3 of 4
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    Napoleon's Empire faced severe challenges that drained its resources. The Continental Blockade, designed to cripple Britain economically, instead caused widespread European resentment. Enforcing this sparked the Peninsular War (1808–1814), a brutal guerrilla conflict in Iberia that became a draining 'Spanish ulcer'. The Austrian campaign (1809) tested Napoleon at Wagram, revealing French military vulnerabilities. The disastrous Russian campaign (1812) decimated the Grande Armée through attrition and winter conditions. Earlier, the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807) against Prussia and Russia expanded the Empire but dangerously overextended French military commitments, setting the stage for these fatal challenges.

    What earns the marks

    • Assess the economic and political failure of the Continental Blockade in isolating Britain.
    • Evaluate the impact of the Peninsular War on French military resources and morale.
    • Analyse the significance of the 1809 Austrian campaign, noting the heavy losses at Aspern-Essling and Wagram.
    • Explain the logistical failures and devastating human cost of the 1812 Russian campaign.
    • Examine how the War of the Fourth Coalition expanded French territory but created long-term strategic vulnerabilities.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Confusing the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806-1807) with the War of the Sixth Coalition (1813-1814).

      Put it right: Ensure you specifically discuss the 1806-1807 conflict involving Prussia and Russia when addressing the Fourth Coalition.

    • Stating the Continental Blockade successfully destroyed the British economy.

      Put it right: Note that while it caused economic disruption, Britain survived by finding new markets, whereas the blockade severely damaged European economies and alienated Napoleon's allies.

    • Attributing the failure in Russia solely to the winter weather.

      Put it right: Emphasise that poor logistics, disease, and Russian scorched-earth tactics decimated the Grande Armee long before the winter snows began.

    Exam tips

    • Link the Continental Blockade directly to the outbreak of both the Peninsular War and the Russian campaign to demonstrate synoptic understanding.
    • Use specific battles, such as Jena-Auerstedt (Fourth Coalition) or Borodino (Russian campaign), to support arguments about French military performance.
    • When evaluating challenges, weigh the impact of Napoleon's own strategic errors against the growing strength and adaptation of his enemies.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815 (A-level only) – The impact of Napoleon's rule on Europe, 1799–1815: Challenges to the Empire: the continental blockade; the Peninsular War; the Austrian campaign; the Russian campaign; the war of the Fourth Coalition lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    What was the primary strategic objective of Napoleon's Continental Blockade introduced by the Berlin Decree of 1806?

    Listen

    Napoleon's Empire faced severe challenges that drained its resources. The Continental Blockade, designed to cripple Britain economically, instead caused widespread European resentment. Enforcing this sparked the Peninsular War (1808–1814), a brutal guerrilla conflict in Iberia that became a draining 'Spanish ulcer'. The Austrian campaign (1809) tested Napoleon at Wagram, revealing French military vulnerabilities. The disastrous Russian campaign (1812) decimated the Grande Armée through attrition and winter conditions. Earlier, the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807) against Prussia and Russia expanded the Empire but dangerously overextended French military commitments, setting the stage for these fatal challenges. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Assess the economic and political failure of the Continental Blockade in isolating Britain. Evaluate the impact of the Peninsular War on French military resources and morale. Analyse the significance of the 1809 Austrian campaign, noting the heavy losses at Aspern-Essling and Wagram. Explain the logistical failures and devastating human cost of the 1812 Russian campaign. A common slip: Confusing the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806-1807) with the War of the Sixth Coalition (1813-1814). Instead, Ensure you specifically discuss the 1806-1807 conflict involving Prussia and Russia when addressing the Fourth Coalition. Exam tip: Link the Continental Blockade directly to the outbreak of both the Peninsular War and the Russian campaign to demonstrate synoptic understanding.

    See it

    A top-down flowchart. The Continental Blockade leads to European resentment and to the Peninsular War, which leads to a draining 'Spanish ulcer'. Separately, the War of the Fourth Coalition leads to an expanded but overextended Empire, which leads both to the Austrian campaign (revealing French military vulnerabilities) and to the Russian campaign (decimating the Grande Armée). The 'Spanish ulcer', the revealed vulnerabilities and the decimated Grande Armée all feed into cumulative strain on the Empire.
    Shows how the Continental Blockade and the successive campaigns combined to drain and strain Napoleon's Empire.

    Put the events in order

    Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.

    1. 1. Russian campaign decimates the Grande Armée
    2. 2. War of the Fourth Coalition against Prussia and Russia
    3. 3. Austrian campaign tests Napoleon at Wagram
    4. 4. Peninsular War begins in Iberia

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    Continental Blockade

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Peninsular War

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Russian campaign

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    War of the Fourth Coalition

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    See every definition
    Continental Blockade
    A measure designed to cripple Britain economically, which instead caused widespread European resentment and severely damaged European economies.
    Peninsular War
    A brutal guerrilla conflict in Iberia from 1808 to 1814, sparked by enforcing the blockade, that became a draining 'Spanish ulcer'.
    Russian campaign
    A disastrous campaign in 1812 in which the Grande Armée was decimated through attrition and winter conditions.
    War of the Fourth Coalition
    A conflict against Prussia and Russia that expanded the Empire but dangerously overextended French military commitments.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart. The Continental Blockade leads to European resentment and to the Peninsular War, which leads to a draining 'Spanish ulcer'. Separately, the War of the Fourth Coalition leads to an expanded but overextended Empire, which leads both to the Austrian campaign (revealing French military vulnerabilities) and to the Russian campaign (decimating the Grande Armée). The 'Spanish ulcer', the revealed vulnerabilities and the decimated Grande Armée all feed into cumulative strain on the Empire.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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