Blockade Against Blockade (NAPOLEON 159)

This drawing refers to a series of blockades enacted by the British and the French in 1806/1807. The British began in May 1806 by issuing Orders in Council that placed the entire coast of Europe under a naval blockade. France retaliated with a series of decrees collectively known as the Continental System. The Berlin Decrees (Nov 1806) prohibited any vessel coming from Britain from landing at a port under French control. Britain's naval supremacy, however, allowed her to force ships from neutral countries to stop in Britain on their way to the continent, lessening the economic impact of the blockade. Napoleon's Milan Decree (March 1807) authorized any ship coming from Britain to the continent to be confiscated. Ultimately, the blockade hurt France more than it did England, causing widespread food shortages and a general recession.This caricature shows John Bull, symbol of the average Englishman, gloating because his blockade is causing food shortages in France. The table behind him is heaped with food: a large steak, a tank of ale, and a bottle of Port. Napoleon, still resplendent in his uniform but with a look of chagrin on his face, sits before a simple bowl of soup. The posters on the walls are attributed to two newspapers of the day. Reference source: George #10773

Geographic coverage: France

Subjects (LCSH): Political cartoons; History--Caricatures & cartoons; Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821; Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815