How was the Continental System intended to weaken Great Britain?

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Jacques-Louis David: The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries — Napoleon I *The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries*, oil on canvas by Jacques-Louis David, 1812; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Continental System was a blockade established by Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars with the primary goal of paralyzing Great Britain by destroying its commerce.1

Through the Berlin Decree and the Milan Decree, Napoleon prohibited neutral nations and French allies from trading with the British. By cutting off these vital markets, he intended to cripple the British economy and undermine its industrial capacity.1

While the system did succeed in hurting English industries—contributing to unemployment and the Luddite protest movement—it ultimately proved ineffective. Because the British maintained naval superiority, they were able to respond with a counterblockade via Orders in Council, which further strained the economies of France and its allies. Napoleon’s persistent efforts to enforce the blockade against widespread evasion eventually overextended his military forces, leading to significant strategic failures, including the invasion of Russia in 1812.1