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Why did Napoleon annex Hamburg to the French Empire in 1810?
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Hamburg
Hamburg, Germany.
Napoleon annexed Hamburg to the French Empire in December 1810 primarily to strengthen the effectiveness of his Continental System.
By incorporating Hamburg and other territories across northwestern Germany into the French Empire, Napoleon sought to tighten his blockade against British trade, which was the central objective of the Continental System. This strategic expansion aimed to bring the coastal regions under direct French control to prevent the circumvention of trade restrictions that were intended to cripple the British economy.1