Treaty of Tilsit

The 1807 agreements between Napoleonic France, Russia, and Prussia that ended the War of the Fourth Coalition and established a Franco-Russian alliance.

War of the Fourth Coalition: The 1806–1807 conflict in which France and its allies fought Prussia, Russia, and other states. French victories in this war brought Prussia and Russia to negotiations at Tilsit.
Continental System: Napoleon’s trade embargo intended to weaken Britain by barring European commerce with it. Russia agreed to join this anti-British system as part of its alliance with France.
Napoleon Bonaparte: French military and political leader who became emperor in 1804 and dominated much of continental Europe. Napoleon negotiated the settlement that secured French predominance in Central Europe.
Napoleonic Wars: A series of European wars from 1803 to 1815 involving Napoleonic France and shifting coalitions. The treaty altered alliances within the wider conflict but did not end the wars.
Treaty of Amiens: The 1802 treaty that temporarily ended hostilities between Britain and France during the French Revolutionary Wars. Amiens briefly paused conflict; Tilsit instead bound France and Russia in a continental alliance.
Battle of Friedland: The 1807 battle in which Napoleon defeated a Russian army near Friedland in East Prussia. Russia’s defeat at Friedland pushed Alexander I toward an armistice and talks.
Duchy of Warsaw: A Polish state established by Napoleon in 1807 from territories taken largely from Prussia. Tilsit’s territorial settlement created the duchy from lands stripped from Prussia.
Alexander I of Russia: Russian emperor from 1801 to 1825 who led Russia through the Napoleonic Wars. Alexander accepted the alliance while seeking to preserve Russian influence and autonomy.
French invasion of Russia: Napoleon’s 1812 campaign against Russia, which ended in catastrophic French retreat. The Franco-Russian partnership established at Tilsit collapsed before this invasion.
Treaty of Pressburg: The 1805 treaty that ended Austria’s war with France after Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz. Pressburg imposed an earlier French settlement on Austria rather than creating a Franco-Russian partnership.

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