394 FRANCE. 



neighbours with indifference, and had expected by remaining neutral 

 to secure the favour of France, was now too late convinced of her er- 

 ror. In some negociations which had taken place with England, Bo- 

 naparte had promised to restore Hanover. This he had done with- 

 out consulting Prussia, who was actually in possession of that territo- 

 ry. The formation of the Rhinish confederation, and the keeping up 

 of French armies on the Prussian lines, were also objects of com- 

 plaint. The French government was very willing to engage in a 

 contest, from which it might derive great advantages, and in which 

 success was almost certain. See Prussia. 



The nomination of Joseph Bonaparte to the throne of Naples was 

 soon followed by that of Louis to the throne of Holland. In 1808 the 

 power of Bonaparte was at its acme. All the governments of Europe, 

 England and Sweden alone excepted, appeared to act under his com- 

 mand. He had enticed the king of Spain into France, and had com- 

 pelled him to resign his crown into his hands. Spain was overrun 

 with French troops, and her means of resistance were small. This 

 war will be noticed under the article Spain. Bonaparte declared his 

 brother Joseph king of Spain, and Murat filled his place at Naples. 

 The different powers of Europe were called upon to acknowledge the 

 sovereignty of Joseph. This acknowledgment was refused by the 

 emperor of Austria, who seemed disposed to make another attempt 

 to assert the independence of his empire. The impoverished state 

 in which Austria was left after the treaty of Presburg, obliged her to 

 have recourse to extraordinary means for recruiting her strength. 

 Her army was almost annihilated, while those of the surrounding na- 

 tions were well-organized and numerous ; and yet every attempt 

 which she made to place her military upon a footing with that of her 

 neighbours, was complained of by Bonaparte as arising from a hostile 

 disposition towards France. Thus the emperor Francis was compel- 

 led, either to leave his defenceless territories for a high way to all 

 the armies of Europe, or to involve himself in fresh difficulties with 

 France. A diplomatic controversy had been carried on ever since 

 the signing of the treaty of Presburg, the conditions of which, on 

 the part of France, had never been fulfilled, and in March, 1809, ac- 

 tive hostilities recommenced. See Germany. The issue of the war 

 was a fresh triumph to France, and by the terms of peace Austria 

 was rendered for ever incapable of renewing the contest. Her sea- 

 ports were annexed to France, and Russia, Bavaria, and Saxony, each 

 received part of her territory. These terms would probably have 

 been much worse, had it not been for the sacrifice which the empe- 

 ror Francis made in giving his daughter to Bonaparte in marriage. 

 On the 16th of December, a decree passed the French senate, di- 

 vorcing Bonaparte and the empress Josephine; and on the 1st of 

 April, 1810, he was married to Maria Louisa, daughter of the empe- 

 ror of Austria. In this year Louis Bonaparte was removed from the 

 throne of Holland, on account, it was stated, of the mildness of his 

 government, and that province was declared a part of the French em- 

 pire. 



The impatience of Bonaparte to compel the adoption of his conti- 

 nental system, excited him to make extraordinary and imperative de- 

 mands of Russia; and as early as the year 1810, only three years af- 

 ter the conclusion of the treaty of Tilsit, symptoms of resistance 

 were exhibited by the Russian court. The whole of 1811 was spent 

 by the two powers, in making the most formidable preparations. The 



