Historedia
EuropeEvent

Congress of Erfurt: Napoleon and Alexander I meet

When
1808
Where
Erfurt
Episodes
1

The Congress of Erfurt (27 September–14 October 1808) was a diplomatic meeting between Napoleon I and Alexander I intended to reaffirm the alliance established by the Treaties of Tilsit. The gathering resulted in an agreement recognizing Russian conquests and calling for peace with Britain, though underlying disagreements regarding Poland and the Continental System persisted, leading to deteriorating relations by 1810.

Episodes

  1. 27 September–14 October 1808 · ErfurtOpening of the Congress

    The Congress of Erfurt began on 27 September 1808, intended to reaffirm the alliance concluded the previous year with the Treaties of Tilsit.

Background and detail

Background. The Congress followed the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), which ended the War of the Fourth Coalition. Alexander I had previously fought Napoleon but switched sides after defeats at Austerlitz and Friedland, joining the Continental System. The meeting aimed to solidify this alliance, though tensions remained over Poland and British trade, setting the stage for future conflict.

Diplomatic Outcome. At Erfurt, Napoleon and Alexander reached an agreement recognizing the Russian conquest of Finland and calling upon Britain to cease its war against France. This treaty defined the common policy of the two emperors.

Long-term Implications. Despite the formal agreement, the alliance was fragile. Alexander withdrew Russia from the Continental System in 1810, and relations worsened progressively. By 1810, both emperors were considering war with one another, marking the end of the cooperation established at Tilsit and Erfurt.

People involved

Sources

  1. Congress of Erfurt Wikipedia, revision of 2025-06-12
  2. Napoleon Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
  3. Alexander I of Russia Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.