What was the name of Napoleon's policy intended to blockade Britain economically?

• A. Continental System
• B. Mercantilism
• C. Economic Bloc
• D. Blockade Protocol

Answer: (A)

Napoleon’s policy to blockade Britain economically is called the Continental System. It was an intentional use of economic warfare: by closing or restricting trade with Britain across Europe, Napoleon hoped to cripple Britain's wealth and military capability without more costly land battles. He tried to enforce it with decrees that forbade European ports from trading with Britain and even penalized neutral ships carrying British goods.

This approach hinges on a simple idea: if Britain can’t sell its goods on the European continent, its economy weakens, and pressure mounts on Britain to give in. It’s more than just a trade embargo; it’s an organized, empire-wide attempt to redraw the economic map of Europe to isolate Britain.

Mercantilism is an older economic theory about accumulating wealth through a favorable balance of trade, not a specific policy Napoleon enacted. The other terms aren’t historical names for his plan. The Continental System is the precise name of that blockade strategy.