After the French’s success against Prussia at the battle of Jena, Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree in response to laws passed by Britain also known as an order in council. (An Order-in-Council is a type of law making by wealthy governing individuals in the name of the queen and who answer to the queen, who in the time being was Queen Elizabeth II.) The Berlin decree forbade any country allied or dependant on France to trade with the British and the Irish. This move was implemented by Napoleon to destroy the United Kingdoms economy. However, this plan backfired. The only country’s economy which was affected by this plan was France itself. The British controlled the Atlantic trade. Consequently, the United Kingdom did not falter. Eventually countries began to break away from the Continental system, created by Napoleon, which consisted of all countries dependant or allied with France. This sequentially devastated France and led to Napoleon Bonaparte’s downfall.

On the website: http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/history/1800-1840.htm, it is stated:

“Berlin Decree, 1806: Was created in response to the Order in Council by the British, in which the French proclaimed a blockade of the British Isles, and any ship attempting to enter or leave a British port would be seized by France. The Decree was answered with another Order in Council, in which all ships must come to England for licenses of trade.”

The Berlin decree had a minimal effect on the United Kingdom’s economy due to some of Britain’s order in council which were laws created to mediate the problematic trade situation.

-Reuven Ilyayev