The Fourth Coalition was created only a few months after the dissolution of the Third Coalition. The fourth alliance was formed by the United Kingdom, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Sicily to oppose Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's French Empire and its allies, the kingdoms of Italy, Spain, Naples, Etruria, and the Netherlands. Poland, Bavaria, Württemberg, the Rhine Confederation, the Swiss Confederation, and Polish legionnaires
Many Fourth Coalition members had previously been against France in the Third Coalition. Prussia joined the Fourth Coalition in 1806, fearing the rising might of the French empire following France's victory over Austria.
On July 12, 1806, Napoleon established the Rhine Confederation (Rheinbund), consisting of 16 small states in the Rhineland and other small states in western Germany. Napoleon assembled many small German states into marquis (land ruled by marquis) and duchies (land ruled by dukes) and elevated the free states of Saxony and Bavaria to kingdoms so that governance could be more effective.
Battle in Prussia
Russia and Prussia recruited new troops to fight the French. Prussian troops concentrated in Saxony. In August 1806, the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III decided to go to war with France while the Russian army was still far from Prussia. In September 1806, Napoleon moved his forces east of the Rhine. After French Marshal Jean Lannes defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Saalfeld (Germany) on October 10, 1806, four days later, Napoleon personally defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Jena (October 14, 1806), and then Marshal Davout also defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Jena (October 14, 1806). defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Auerstedt on the same day. The French army of 160,000 men stormed into Prussia. On October 27, 1806, when Napoleon entered Berlin, he visited the tomb of Frederick II the Great, asked the generals to take off their hats, and declared: "If he—that is, Frederick II—was alive, we would not be here".
Overall, Napoleon just needed 19 days to defeat the Prussians and seize Berlin. Napoleon signed a series of ordinances proclaiming a Continental System against the United Kingdom.
Battle in Russia
Napoleon formed the Duchy of Warsaw (Duché de Varsovie) and turned north to battle the remaining Russians, aiming to conquer the temporary Prussian capital of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad in Russia). The Russian army was forced to retreat northward after the Battle of Eylau (East Prussia) on February 7 and 8, 1807. Then, on June 14, 1807, Napoleon destroyed the Russian army in the Battle of Friedland (Prussia), forcing Tsar Alexander to sign the Treaty of Tilsit on July 7, 1807. French Marshal Guillaume Brune captured the Swedish region of Pommern on the Baltic coast in September 1807.
Consequences of the Wars of the Fourth Coalition
From September 17 to October 14, 1808, Russia and France agreed to force Sweden to comply with the French Continental Blockade, resulting in the Finnish War of 1808–1809 and the country's split. Sweden is separated into two halves on the border of the Gulf of Bothnia, the eastern half of the Russian Empire's Grand Duchy of Finland.
Following his reconciliation with Russia, Napoleon compelled Prussia to reduce his land in order to construct the Kingdom of Westphalen, which he gave to his youngest brother, Jérôme Bonaparte, and the Duchy of Warsaw, which was controlled by Friedrich August III Saxony (Napoleon's staunch friend).
Except for Spain, Portugal, Austria, and a few small countries, Napoleon controlled areas in Western and Central Europe.
Battles between France and the Fourth Coalition
6.2.1806: naval battle of San Domingo (Caribbean region), England defeats France
March 13, 1806: naval battle of Cape Verde (Africa), England defeats France
October 9, 1806: Battle of Schleiz (Germany), France defeats Prussia
10.10.1806: Battle of Saalfeld (Germany), France defeats Prussia
October 14, 1806: Battle of Jena, France defeats Prussia
October 14, 1806: Battle of Auerstedt (Germany), France defeated Prussia
6.11.1806: Battle of Lübeck (Germany), France defeats Prussia
November 1806: Battle of Wielkipolska (Poland), Franco-Polish victory over Prussia
December 26, 1806: Battle of Golymin (Poland), 17,000 Russian troops against 38,000 French troops of Field Marshal Murat, then Russia withdrew
December 26, 1806: Battle of Pultus (East Prussia), Russia against France, indecisive (then Russia withdrew)
August 7, 1807: Battle of Eylau (East Prussia), France won a Pyrrhic victory over Russia - Prussia
March 19 - May 24, 1807: Battle of Gdansk (Poland), France won against Russia-Prussia
June 10, 1807: Battle of Heilsberg (East Prussia), France defeats Russia
June 14, 1807: Battle of Friedland (Prussia), France defeats Russia
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