WI Napoleon tried to Starve ou thte British

Apparently in 1810 Britain was suffering form grain shortage and Napoleon authorized grain shipments to the English thinking it could be brought to its knees but he ignored the fact that the continental help could fund war effort according to Ronald Findlay and Kevin h Rourke in Power and Plenty the World economy in the second Mellenium. So what if this did happen. Napolean decides not to aid the Britissh food crisis. Could we see a British withdrawal form the war with Napoleon?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Napoleon, so brilliant in so many fields, was not an intuitive economic thinker. He was stuck in a mercantilist mindset and thought that opening up grain markets, gold would be funneled out of Britain and into his own coffers. This did happen to a limited degree, but of course it didn't matter. What Napoleon needed to do was make a thorough study of Adam Smith.
 
It would never work, the French never had enough ships, there are too many places in Britain that could serve as a makeshift harbor for smuggling, not to mention that to starve the British Isles out the French would have to intercept every single ship that even seemed like it was heading to Britain a 100% of the time.

You couldn't do this NOW much less in the 18-19th centuries.
 
It would never work, the French never had enough ships, there are too many places in Britain that could serve as a makeshift harbor for smuggling, not to mention that to starve the British Isles out the French would have to intercept every single ship that even seemed like it was heading to Britain a 100% of the time.

You couldn't do this NOW much less in the 18-19th centuries.

I don't know I mean according to Rourke Britain experienced a severe grain crisis in1810. 13% of its grain needs were met thanks to French aid. I am sure Britain smuggled before then but the grain crisis demonstrates British operations to get grain weren't effective between 1808 and 1810
 
He did, he failed.

Actually he misunderstood economics. He sent grain shipments to UK that is not trying to starve them. Also grain prices at the time in UK were really high so not only do you have mass grain shortage but high costs as well. Not to mention Russia didnt leave blockade till 1810. In 1808-9 all of Europe blockaded UK and it seemed to work as commodity prices rose Rapidly not to mention USA joined in on the embargoe. Also 13% of all grain shipped to UK yearly byrance is not a small amount.
 

Lateknight

Banned
Actually he misunderstood economics. He sent grain shipments to UK that is not trying to starve them. Also grain prices at the time in UK were really high so not only do you have mass grain shortage but high costs as well. Not to mention Russia didnt leave blockade till 1810. In 1808-9 all of Europe blockaded UK and it seemed to work as commodity prices rose Rapidly not to mention USA joined in on the embargoe

Well he didn't literally try to starve them out he did try to cut off there trade though.
 
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