The Treaty of Tilsit placed the Finnish War inside a European alliance system and turned the Russo-Swedish border into one front of the Napoleonic struggle. Russia's partnership with Napoleon made Sweden a useful target, while Denmark-Norway initially supported the anti-Swedish alignment but grew alarmed at the prospect of Russian power reaching its frontier. That reversal followed realpolitik: Russian expansion was useful while directed against a mutual enemy and dangerous once it removed the buffer between temporary partners. The approaching Fifth Coalition and ongoing Anglo-Russian War show how quickly the alignment around the Baltic could change. The Second Battle of Copenhagen had already removed the Danish fleet as a functional force and reshaped the regional balance. The attack fits a recurring British policy of disabling a neutral or allied fleet before conquest could place it at an enemy's disposal. The comparison with Mers-el-Kébir shows how maritime states valued control of fleets as much as formal diplomatic assurances.
Chapter · 8:41-12:41
The Finnish War inside Napoleon's European system
The war grew out of the Treaty of Tilsit alignment that placed Russia, France, and Denmark-Norway against a Sweden supported by Britain.