As Bonaparte found that the forces of Russia were more formidable than he expected, he endeavoured to reduce the number of his enemies, by detaching Sweden from the al lies ; but not succeeding, the war against that power was carried on in Pomerania with such vigour and effect, that the Swedish general agreed to an armistice, which, how ever, was to be submitted to his Swedish 111ajesty. Ile did not approve of it, and resolved to take the command of the army himself. As soon as he landed in Pomerania, he di rected his thoughts to the fortifications of Stralsund, which the French were at that time besieging. His army consis ted of about 30,000 Swedes, and 4000 Prussians. But we must suspend our account of his operations, till we bring the narration of the contest between the French and Rus sians to a close.
Bonaparte, after the battle of Eylau, and the fall of Dant zic, resolved to strengthen his positions, that he might be able to resist the attack of the Russians, who now seemed disposed to become the assailants. On the 5th of June, the Russians did attack them, and gained some advantages. On the 8th, Bonaparte arrived and took the command. He immediately ordered an attempt to be made to recover the positions they had lost ; the French were successful, and not only regained their positions, but forced the Russians to fall back. From the 5th to the 12th of the month, there had been constant engagements, in which the loss was very considerable on each side. On the 13th, Bonaparte had pushed the Russians back to Friedland. Here, on the 14th, the anniversary of the battle of Marengo, he determined to attack them. The battle lasted from five in the morning till seven at night. At the close of the day, nearly all the French force fell on the centre of the Russians : It gave way, and they lost the battle. Their loss was very great, and they were pursued as far as the Niemen, where they were joined by large reinforcements from Russia. In con sequence of this, the Russian general resolved to hazard another battle, and crossing the Niemen, stationed his ar my on a great plain to the right of the town of Tilsit. The fall of Koningsberg was the immediate consequence of the battle of Friedland, the garrison evacuating it, and joining the Russian army.
While Bonaparte was advancing towards Tilsit, an over ture was made by the Russian general Benningsen to the Duke of Berg, for an armistice. On the 22d of June, it was signed ; and, on the 24th, an interview took place be tween Bonaparte and the Emperor of Russia, on a raft on the Niemen. On the 9th of July, the peace between Rus sia and France was•ratified. The conditions of this treaty more immediately connected with the history of France are, that East Friesland was to be added to the kingdom of Holland ; a new kingdom, under the title of that of West phalia, was to be formed out of the provinces congtiered from Prussia, at the head of which Jerome Bonaparte was to be placed; the kings of Holland and Naples, and the confederation of the Rhine, were acknowledged ; and Rus sia and Prussia agreed to shut their ports against England, and become a party in the maritime war, the grand and fa vourite object of Bonaparte, by means of which, and the exclusion of British commerce from the continent, he fool ishly hoped to reduce Britain to a compliance with his terms.
The peace of Tilsit was not immediately followed by the cessation of hostilities between France and Sweden ; but as Bonaparte had now no other enemy against whom to direct the immense force he possessed in the north of Europe, it was not to be expected that Sweden could long resist him.
The King of Sweden finding that his efforts for the defence of Pomerania were unavailing, returned to his capital ; and on the 7th of September, a convention was signed between the Swedish and French commanders, by which the latter were put in possession of Rugen, and the other Swedish islands on the German coast.
During the absence of Bonaparte from France, a mes sage was communicated to the senate in the month of March, stating, that it was necessary to anticipate the con scription of 1808 ; but that the conscripts would be per mitted to remain in France for six months, to be trained and disciplined, after which they would be liable to be call ed to the theatre of war. This is the first instance of the anticipation of the conscription, a measure which was after wards frequently resorted to. Very soon after Bonaparte's return to Paris, he addressed the legislative body and the tribunate on the situation of the empire, the conquests which France had achieved, and his desire for a maritime peace.
As the Dutch bore impatiently the loss of their com merce, and as Louis was disposed to commiserate them, Bonaparte obliged him to issue very severe decrees against the introduction of British goods; and in order to chew to the world what a mere puppet of a king he was, the strong fortresses of the Maese, the great bulwarks of Holland against France, were taken within the limits of the latter. He next prepared for the invasion of Portugal, and an ar my of 40,000 men was ordered to be assembled at Bayonne. This, however, was for the present productive of no conse quence, except the emigration of the Prince Regent of Por tugal to the Brazils.