Napoleon started making three big mistakes. The first big mistake he made was that he created the Continental system, he set up a blockade to stop trade and communication with Britain. Britain responded by setting up it's own more effective blockade. The second mistake he made was the Peninsular War. Napoleon invaded Spain and Portugal in effort to force them to accept the Continental System. He lost 300,000 over 6 years, nationalism raised. People of Spain and Portugal united. His third mistake was that he tried to invade Russia. Napoleon tried to invade Russia with his 420,000 soldiers, he wanted Russia to stop selling grain to Great Britain. As a result the French lost. The Russians used the " Scorch earth policy " to weaken the grand army. The Russians had millions of soldiers, and they were willing to anything to win. Only 10,000 soldiers of Napoleon made it out alive. Clemens Von Matternich was the man who outwitted Napoleon. in April 1814 Napoleon surrenders, be was excited to the island of Elba. He escaped and returned to France for 100 days. He loses the battle of Waterloo and then he is exiled to St. Helena. Then later on Napoleon died in 1821.
