Berlin Decree

Berlin Decree, 1806, decree issued in Berlin by Napoleon I on Nov. 21 in answer to the British blockade. Claiming that the British blockade of purely commercial ports was contrary to international law, Napoleon retaliated by declaring the British Isles under blockade and forbidding any trade to or from them. The Berlin Decree initiated the Continental System.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Treaties and Alliances