1809
The Fifth Coalition against France consisted of Britain and
Austria. Tsar Alexander I had formed an alliance with Napoleon. In Germany, a
nationalist movement grew, but was powerless to achieve anything until 1813,
mainly because of the decimation of Prussia, some years earlier. The British
started the Peninsular War, to help the anti-French guerrillas in Spain. Austria
however was defeated at the battles of Wagram and Aspern. Napoleon annexed the
Kingdom of Etruria and the remains of the Papal States, making his infant son
and heir, born out of his second marriage to Austrian Archduchess Marie-Louise,
the titular "King of Rome". Westphalia expanded into Hanover, but Napoleon
occupied the Northern coast of Germany himself. The Russians took Finland from
the Swedes. The childless King Charles XIII Gustavus of Sweden adopted
Napoleon's Marshall Bernadotte (now Prince of Pontecorvo) as his heir.
Bernadotte would turn out to be an independent minded Crown Prince of Sweden.
