Confederation of the Rhine

This page summarises records created by this Organisation

The summary includes a brief description of the collection(s) (usually including the covering dates of the collection), the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection.

Date:	1806-1813
History:	In 1792 France annexed all German territory west of the River Rhine. The larger German states were compensated for losses there by being awarded territories of secondary German states. In 1803 the number of German states was drastically reduced. Napoleon Bonaparte wished to unify and dominate the majority of German states as a counterweight to the two principal German states, Austria and Prussia, and in July 1806 he founded the Confederation of the Rhine, which excluded Austria and Prussia but included the expanded kingdoms of Bavaria and Wurttemberg and the enlarged states of Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, Nassau and Berg, as well as smaller states. Saxony joined the Confederation in 1807 as a kingdom. Under the Treaties of Tilsit, 1807, Prussia ceded territory west of the River Elbe to the Confederation. Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig in October 1813 led to the dissolution of the Confederation.
Functions, occupations and activities:	Government (central)
References:	Britannica; Times World Hist; NCA Rules
Name authority reference:	GB/NNAF/C286092

Collections
Number	Description	Held by	Reference	Further information
1	1811-1905: Foreign Office: Political and Other Departments: General Correspondence before 1906, Baden, Bavaria, Coburg, Frankfurt, Hesse-Darmstadt, Saxony and Wurttemberg	The National Archives, Kew	FO 30
2	1810-1866: Foreign Office: Consulates and Legation, Germanic Confederation (formerly the Confederation of the Rhine): General Correspondence	The National Archives, Kew	FO 208