Causes for the downfall of Napoleon are manifold. Mainly they were as given below.
1. Though he was a genius, his inordinate ambition, pride and self centred nature ruined him in the end.
2. Napoleonic Empire depended only on his military strength. His army consisted of soldiers belonging to different nationalities who did not have any attachment to the Empire.
3. The rise of nationalism against the Napoleonic Empire was another factor that led to his fall. This spirit of nationalism which initially worked well in Spain, later on, spread to other countries like Austria, Prussia, and Russia, leading to the War of Liberation.
4. The Continental System was one of the great blunders committed by Napoleon. Due to the heavy losses, the European countries came out of the system.
5. The Russian expedition was ill-fated and the grand army of Napoleon was reduced to pieces due to the bad weather. The opportunity was immediately seized by his enemies who formed the fourth coalition to bring about his downfall.
6. The ill-treatment of the Pope by Napoleon antagonized the. Roman Catholics throughout Europe. In 1809, he had seized the Papal territories and transferred the seat of Papacy to Paris as the Pope had refused to observe the continental system.
7. The continued opposition of England, its undisputed supremacy on the sea and the ability of its commanders like Vice-Admiral Nelson and General Wellesley also contributed much towards the destruction of Napoleonic Empire. The fact was that his navy was very weak.
