The punishment came swiftly. The insatiate conqueror had no thought of
leaving a great state like Prussia undisturbed. And soon it developed
that his plan was also to create a northern bund under his
protectorate, which would be composed of the Prussian states on the
northern coast.
Forced in her own defense to take up arms, Prussia suffered a terrible
defeat at Jena, 1806. The conqueror for whose friendship Frederick
William had sacrificed his country was in Berlin. The beautiful
Prussian Queen who, he knew, had used her influence against him, was
treated with the grossest insolence, while for the cowed people
recently in revolt, and now prostrating themselves, he did not restrain
his contempt.
The Peace of Tilsit (1807) determined the full measure of Prussia's
retribution. Her Polish acquisitions were made into a "Grand Duchy of
Warsaw," under a French protectorate. One half of the rest of her
territory was converted into a kingdom of Westphalia, over which
Napoleon's brother Jerome was king. To the remainder of Prussia was
assigned the burden of an immense indemnity, and the maintenance of a
French army in her territory.
But the cup of humiliation was not drained until later when, standing
with the Continent under his feet, Napoleon compelled the Prussian King
to join the Rheinbund with what was left of his kingdom, to furnish
France with troops, and thus to become tributary to his designs upon
Europe.
Napoleon in the meantime, in an hour's interview with Alexander of
Russia, had by the magic of his influence secured that Emperor's
friendship. All this excellent man was fighting for was the peace of
Europe! And he disclosed to Alexander his plan that they two should be
the eternal custodians of that peace; which was to be secured by
restraining the arrogance of England; and that was to be done by
destroying her commercial prosperity. All of Europe was to be
forbidden to trade with that country. There was to be a Continental
blockade against a "nation of shopkeepers." Alexander was completely
won, and he promised not to molest his new friend in his benevolent
task.
The provinces dependent upon France were now divided up into kingdoms
and principalities, and to make his own control over them more assured,
Napoleon placed members of his own family and personal friends upon the
various thrones.
His brother Louis was created King of Holland. His brother-in-law
Murat was made King of Naples; Eugene Beauharnais, his step-son,
Viceroy of Italy. Jerome Bonaparte, as we have seen, was King of
Westphalia, and his brother Joseph he had already made King of Spain,
in the time he could spare from more important matters in Germany.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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