Napoleon's Invasion of Russia

by George F Nafziger

  25 November 1807

  Order in Council; establishing certain Regulations as to Vessels clearing out from this Kingdom, with reference to the Order of the 11th of November instant.

  At the Court at the Queen's Palace, the 11th of November 1807; Present, The King's most excellent Majesty in council. —Whereas his majesty, by his Order in council, dated 11th of Nov. instant, respecting the trade to be carried on with his majesty's enemies, was pleased to exempt from the restrictions of said Order all vessels which shall have cleared out from any port or place in this kingdom under such regulations as his majesty may think fit to prescribe, and shall be proceeding direct to the ports specified in the respective clearances; his majesty, taking into consideration the expediency of making such regulations, is pleased, by and with the advice of his privy council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, That all vessels belonging to countries not at war with his majesty, shall be permitted to lade in any port of the united kingdom any goods, being the produce or manufacture of his majesty's dominions, or East India goods or price goods (all such goods having been lawfully imported) and to clear out with, and freely to convey the same to any port or place in any colony in the West Indies or America, belonging to his majesty's enemies, such port or place not being in a state of actual blockade, subject to the payment of such duties as may, at the time when any such vessel may be cleared out, be due by law on the exportation of any such goods, or in respect of the same being destined to ports of the colonies belonging to his majesty's enemies, and likewise to lade, clear out with, and convey as aforesaid, any articles of foreign produce or manufacture which shall have been lawfully imported into this kingdom, provided his majesty's license shall have been previously obtained for so conveying such foreign produce or manufactures; and it is further ordered, That any vessel, belonging as aforesaid, shall be permitted to lade in any port of the united kingdom any goods, not being naval or military stores, which shall be of the growth, produce or manufacture of this kingdom, or which shall have been lawfully imported, (save and except foreign sugar, coffee, wine, brandy, snuff and cotton) and to clear out with, and freely to convey the same to any port, to be specified in the clearance, not being in a state of actual blockade, although the same shall be under the restrictions of the said Order, and likewise to lade, clear out, and convey foreign sugar, coffee, wine, brandy, snuff and cotton, which shall have been lawfully imported, provided his majesty's license shall have been previously obtained for the exportation and conveyance thereof: and it is hereby further ordered, That no vessel shall be permitted to clear out from any port or place in this kingdom, to any port or place of any country subjected to the restrictions of the said Order, with any goods which shall have been laden, after notice of the said Order, on board the vessel which shall have imported the same into this kingdom, without having first duly entered and landed the same in some port or place in this kingdom; and that no vessel shall be permitted to clear out from any port or place in this kingdom to any port or place whatever, with any goods, the produce or manufacture of any country subjected to the restrictions of the said Order, which shall have been laden, after notice as aforesaid, on board the vessel importing the same, without having so duly entered and landed the same, or with any goods whatever which shall have been laden after such notice in the vessel importing the same, in any port or place subjected to the restrictions of said Order, without having so duly entered and landed the same in some port or place in this kingdom, except the cargo shall consist wholly of flour, meal, grain, or any article or articles the produce of the soil of some country which is not subjected to the restrictions of the said Order, except cotton, and which shall have been imported in an unmanufactured state direct from such country into this kingdom, in a vessel belonging to the country for which such goods have been brought, and in which the same were grown and produced; and it is further ordered, That any vessel belonging to any country not at war with his majesty, may clear out from Guernsey, Jersey or Man, to any port or place under the restrictions of the said Order, which shall be specified in the clearance, not being in a state of actual blockade, with such articles only, not being naval or military stores, as shall have been legally imported into such islands respectively, from any port or place in this kingdom direct; and with respect to all such articles as may have been imported into the said islands respectively, from any port or place under the restrictions of the said Order, it shall not be permitted to any vessel to clear out with the same from any of the said islands, except to some port or place in this kingdom.

  The Milan Decree 24 December 1807

  Napoleon, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine:

  In view of the Orders in Council of the British government, dated 11 November 1807, which subjugates the vessels of the neutral powers, friends and British allies alike, not only to visits by British privateers, but also to an obligatory port call and the imposition of an arbitrary tax on their cargo, which is regulated by English legislation;

  Considering that, by these acts, the English government has denationalized the vessels of all European nations; that it is not within the power of any government to compromise the rights and independence of another, that all the sovereigns of Europe are jointly responsible for the sovereignty and independence of their colors, which if, by inexcusable weakness, which would be an ineffaceable blemish in the eyes of posterity, one permits to pass in principle and dedication by the use of such tyranny, the English in taking such action to legally establish, as they have profited by the tolerance of the governments to establish the infamous principle that the flag does not cover merchandise, and to give them the right to an extended, arbitrary and criminal blockade of the sovereignty of all states;

  We have decreed and do decree the following:

  Art 1. All vessels, of which ever nation, which suffer the visit of an English vessel or which submit to a port call in England, or shall pay any tax to the English government, is, by that act alone, declared denationalized, and lose the guarantee of their flag and are considered English property.

  Art 2. Should such vessels, denationalized by the arbitrary measures of the British government, enter into our ports or those of our allies, should they fall into the power of our warships or our corsairs, they are declared as lawful prizes.

  Art 3. The British Isles are declared in a state of blockade on sea and on land. All vessels, of whatever nation, whose cargo, coming from British ports or the ports of its allies or countries occupied by the English, or going to England, or going to English colonies or countries occupied by British troops, are declared lawful prize by this decree; it shall be captured by our warships or corsairs, and adjudged upon capture.

  Art 4. These measures, which are but a just reciprocation for the barbaric system adopted by the British government, which likens its legislation to that of Algeria; ceases to have their effect for all nations which shall oblige the British government to respect their flags. These measures shall continue to be in effect until such time as this government returns to the principles of law which regulate the relations of civilized nations in the state of war. The dispositions of this shall be abrogated and nullified by the act of the British government returning to the principles of the rights of men, which also are those of justice and honor. Art 5. All of the ministers are charged with the execution of this decree, which shall be published in the Legal Bulletin.

  The Decree of 19 October 1810

  Art 1. All merchandise of English manufacture and which is prohibited, presently existing in France, be they in warehouses or in the magazines of the customs, shall be publicly burned.

  Art 2. In the future, all merchandise of English manufacture, confiscated by the customs or by seizures, shall be burned.

  Art 3. All English merchandise found in Holland, the Grand Duchy of aBerg, the Hanseatic cities, and generally near the Mein to the sea shall be seized and burned.

  Art 4. All the English merchandise found in our Kin
gdom of Italy, no matter to whom it belongs, shall be seized and burned.

  Art 5. All English merchandise found in the Illyrian provinces shall be seized and burned.

  Art 6. All English merchandise found in the Kingdom of Naples shall be seized and burned.

  Art 7. All English merchandise found in the Spanish provinces occupied by our troops shall be seized and burned. Art 8. All English merchandise found in the cities and upon their occupation by our troops shall be seized and burned.

  Napoleon

  Treaty Concluded Between France and Prussia 8 September 1808

  Art 1. The raising of the sums due from the Prussian states to the French army, as well as the special revenues due for late payment, is fixed at 140 million francs and, for payment of said sum, all claims of France on Prussia for war reparations, shall be canceled. This sum shall be paid, in the twenty days after the ratification of this present treaty, to the treasury of the Comptroller General of the Army, as follows:

  Part in silver letters of credit, good and accepted payables, at the rate of six million francs per month, from the date of the exchange of the ratifications and the payment shall be guaranteed by the Prussian treasury.

  Art 2. The Prussian revenues belong to the French administration from the date of the signing of the treaty, and after this day, to His Majesty, the King of Prussia.

  Art 3. The claims His Majesty, the King of Prussia, has on particulars of the Duchy of Warsaw, according to the terms of the Treaty of Tilsit, are ceded without any reservation.

  Art 4. All the dismembered provinces of the Prussian monarchy that that government wishes to reclaim, shall be the object of special arrangements.

  Art 5. The States of His Majesty, the King of Prussia, shall be evacuated by the French within the interval of thirty to forty days after the exchange of ratifications, or sooner if possible.

  Art 6. The places of Glogau, Stettin and Kustrin shall remain in the possession of the French until the complete discharge of letters of credit and deeds given in payment of the reparations enumerated in the first article. Glogau shall be returned when half of the payments are made and the other two shall be returned upon the complete payment of the debt.

  Art 7. The French garrison which remains in Glogau shall consist of 2,500 infantry, 600 cavalry, and 200 artillerists, in total 3,300 men.

  The garrison of Kustrin shall be 2,000 infantry, 600 cavalry and 200 artillerists, in total 2,800 men.

  The garrison of Stettin shall be 3,000 infantry, 600 cavalry and 300 artillery, in total 3,900 men.

  The total of these three garrisons: 10,000 men.

  Art 8. The pay of these garrisons shall be paid by the treasury of the French administration; but the lodging, lodging compensation, food, forage, heating and light, shall be furnished by the Prussian administration, except for the troops of the general staff of each place, in conformance with the tariffs established by French regulations.

  Art 9. There shall be in each of these places a siege provisionment of six months furnished by the French magazines of Prussian administration. In the first case, the administration, from the time of evacuation, shall fall to the French administration.

  Art 10. From the evacuation of the aforementioned locations, the artillery, the munitions, and the guns belonging to the French army shall also be evacuated; the means of transport shall be furnished by the Prussian administration, which shall equally nourish the French troops until their departure from Prussian territory.

  Art 11. During the time of the occupation of these places by the French army the administration of revenues and that of justice belongs to the King of Prussia, but the police shall be in the hands of the French commandant.

  Art 12. No Prussian troops shall approach within one days march of any of these three places.

  Art 13. There shall be a military road from: Glogau to Kustrin Kustrin to Stettin Stettin to Stralsund Glogau to Kalish Glogau to Saxony Stettin to Magdeburg Stettin to Danzig These roads shall serve for the movements of recruits, replacements, and in general for the needs of the French garrisons in the three reserved places.

  Art 14. When the Treaty of Tilsit was signed, it was assumed by error that the city of Magdeburg lie entirely on the left bank of the Elbe. This river was then set as the territorial limit of Prussia, but the citadel of Magdeburg was on the right bank. His Majesty, the King of Prussia, consents to surrender the territory measuring 2,000 paces from the outworks of the citadel.

  The stakes shall be placed by the French and Prussian commissioners in the five days following the exchange of this treaty.

  Art 15. His Majesty, the Emperor and King, guarantees to His Majesty, the King of Prussia, the integrity of his territory on the condition that he remain a faithful ally of France.

  Art 16. His Majesty, the King of Prussia, recognizes as King of Spain and the Indes, His Majesty, Joseph Napoleon, and as King of the Two Sicilies, His Majesty Joachim Murat.

  Art 17. This treaty shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged within 30 days or sooner if possible.

  Convention Between France and Prussia

  His Majesty, the Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation, and His Majesty, the King of Prussia, having fixed their attention on the declaration postponed during the month of April by the Russian ministers near the different courts and notably near that of Berlin, on the war preparations which they are pursuing and that of others and on the new commerce system of colonial merchandise established in Russia in opposition to the Treaty of Tilsit, find themselves authorized by such circumstances to provide for a change of dispositions on the part of the Petersburg Court and the possibility of a rupture more or less near, conserving always the hope that their apprehensions, some founded strongly, shall not be confirmed by events, but wishing only, should war come, that all shall be regulated and confirmed in advance between themselves for the execution of a treaty of alliance on this day, have resolved, conforming to Article III of the aforementioned treaty, do decree on this consideration by a contingent and special convention and have, to this end, named for their plenipo-tentaires the following:

  His Majesty, the Emperor of France, King of Italy, etc., Hugues Bernard, Count of Maret, Duke of Bassano, etc.

  And His Majesty, the King of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm-Ludwig, Baron of Krusemark, etc.;

  Whom, after having communicated their respective full powers, have agreed upon the following articles:

  Art 1. In the case of war breaking out between France and Russia, His Majesty, the King of Prussia, shall make common cause with His Majesty, the Emperor and King.

  Art 2. His Majesty, the King of Prussia, shall provide a contingent of 20,000 men comprised of 14,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and 2,000 artillerists with 60 cannons, having a double ration and the military equipage necessary to transport flour for ten to twenty days.

  This contingent shall always be held complete at the aforementioned number present under arms.

  Art 3. This contingent shall, as much as possible, be retained in the same army corps and employed by preference for the protection of Prussian provinces, but His Majesty, the King of Prussia, shall make no restrictions on the military dispositions of the army in which these troops are employed.

  The troops who shall compose the aforementioned contingent shall be organized as follows: Those which find themselves in Silesia in Breslau, those near the Oder at Berlin, and those in the eastern provinces at Koenigsberg.

  They shall be ready to begin operations at these diverse points on 15 March.

  Art 4. Independent of the aforementioned corps, a corps of Prussian troops composed of 4,000 men shall form the garrison of Colberg and furnish, if necessary, detachments for the defense of the coasts. A Corps of 1,200 men shall garrison Potsdam. In the case His Majesty, the King of Prussia, judges to establish himself in the aforementioned residence, this garrison may be raised to 3,000. A corps of 10,000 men shall be furnishe
d to garrison the fortresses in Silesia. A corps of 3,000 men shall form the garrison of Graudenz.

  The commandants of Colberg and Graudenz shall regularly transmit the status of their position and garrison to the General Staff. They shall be obedient to the orders of the General Staff for the service of the army.

  They shall receive in these locations, the officers which the General Staff judges suitable to establish there for the objectives of the service and the artillery squads which shall be sent there for the preparation of munitions, but no other troops shall be permitted entry.

  There shall be no new work in this harmony with the French generals. Art 5. His Majesty, Imperial and Royal, promises and engages himself to take part in such a war with all the forces at his disposal. Art 6. The French troops and their allies may cross and occupy the Prussian provinces, with the exception of Upper Silesia, the country of Glatz, and the principalities of Breslau, Oels and Brieg. The French troops shall not enter this part of Silesia, nor in the counties which are not part of the lines of operations.