During his lifetime, Napoleon Bonaparte was a fantastic strategist and military leader. However, he made some mistakes which led to his fall from power. Through his catastrophic mistakes, Napoleon brought about his own downfall. These mistakes included France's ostracism from the rest of Europe through its foreign policy, wartime mistakes, and oversights that occurred in its final years in power. Due to Napoleon's mistakes, he exhausted France's resources and reduced his allies. Because his political views destroyed France's relationship with Europe, Napoleon had to overexpand his forces to maintain control of Europe. At the end of his reign, Napoleon was left without support from anyone outside of France. However, he was still trying to regain the power he once had. “Believing that what was good for Napoleon was good for France, and in turn good for conquered Europe as a whole, his broader imperial vision became a natural extension of his personal dynastic ambition” (Napoleon Profiles in Power p.81). Because Napoleon thought he was doing what was best for each individual person, he ended up crippling his own empire while pursuing his own aspirations. Napoleon Bonaparte's foreign policy was one of the key factors that led to Napoleon's downfall. Some of his misguided foreign policies included the creation of the German Confederation of the Rhine, terrible trade deals in the American colonies, the Continental System, and placing his family members in positions of power. These policies disrupted France's relations with other European states. If Napoleon had created better policies, then he would have been able to gather allies and hang on to his power. When Napoleon Bonapar...... half of document ......oleon imparted Sweden and Norway to Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte , who was a general who supported Napoleon. Bernadotte was a capable ruler and maintained his power. Although Napoleon had appointed him, Bernadotte mutinied against Napoleon and clashed with Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig. “The family plan did not work, partly because it was not based on the needs of the people governed, and partly because all the rulers were individualists…” (The Age of Napoleon p. 221) Works Cited1. Geoffrey Ellis, Napoleon Profiles in Power, Longman (2000), ISBN 9780582437524, accessed 2 December 20132. Will and Ariel Durant, The Age of Napoleon: The Story of Civilization, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 9781451647686, accessed 13 December 20133. Thomas J Fleming, The Louisiana Purchase. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-26738-6. Retrieved 19 January 2014.