Napoleonskrigene

Napoleonskrigene, or the Napoleonic Wars, were a series of conflicts that pitted the French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte against a succession of European coalitions from around 1799 to 1815. They evolved from the French Revolutionary Wars (1789–1802) and culminated in Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo and his subsequent exile to Saint Helena.

Causes included the spread of revolutionary ideals, French expansion, and conflicts with Austria, Britain, Prussia, Russia, and others; coalitions formed and dissolved as fortunes shifted. The wars were fought across Europe and beyond, from Italy and Central Europe to the Iberian Peninsula and Russia, with major campaigns at Austerlitz (1805), Jena–Auerstadt (1806), Wagram (1809), and Borodino (1812). Naval power played a significant role under British command, notably the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), which established British naval supremacy and the continental blockade against France.

Political outcomes included widespread redrawing of European borders: the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine, and extensive French influence in Central Europe. The era also stimulated nationalist movements in many countries and prompted reforms in states allied with or opposed to France, such as Prussia and Austria. The Napoleonic Code (Code Civil) of 1804 helped spread civil-law principles across Europe and beyond.

After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, the victorious powers convened at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) to restore monarchies and establish a balance of power intended to prevent a single state from dominating Europe. The Napoleonic Wars left lasting legacies in political borders, legal systems, and nationalist consciousness.