Why Napoleon's Continental System struggled to choke Britain

If there had been no Peninsular War and no Russian defection, could Napoleon's Continental System have starved Britain's export economy?

No. The system was constantly broken, including by smuggling into France, while Britain still traded beyond the continent.

The answer frames the Continental System as a blockade and coercion problem rather than a decree that could automatically starve Britain. Enforcement was inconsistent even inside France, where prohibited trade continued through smuggling. Britain also exported to and imported from markets beyond continental Europe, reducing the leverage available to Napoleon. The result shows why economic warfare depends on enforcement coverage, alternative trading networks, and the willingness of nominal partners to comply.