Berlin Decree
Preserved but no longer current.
A decree issued at Berlin by Napoleon I in November, 1806, forbidding any of the nations of Europe to trade with Great Britain, proclaiming her to be in a state of blockade, declaring all British property forfeit, and all British subjects on French soil prisoners of war.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Berlin Decree” mean?
A decree issued at Berlin by Napoleon I in November, 1806, forbidding any of the nations of Europe to trade with Great Britain, proclaiming her to be in a state of blockade, declaring all British property forfeit, and all British subjects on French soil prisoners of war.
Is “Berlin Decree” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.