Which German confederation did Napoleon create in 1806?

The German confederation Napoleon created in 1806 was the Confederation of the Rhine.

The confederation was formed by the Treaty of the Confederation of the Rhine, signed on 12 July 1806. Sixteen German princes initially joined after Napoleon’s victory over Austria and Russia, breaking their formal links with the Holy Roman Empire. Napoleon became its “Protector,” giving France dominant influence over the member states.

It was less a unified German nation than a French-backed alliance of sovereign client states. Members supplied troops for Napoleon’s campaigns, while several rulers were rewarded with enlarged territories or upgraded titles. Bavaria and Württemberg, for example, became kingdoms, and Baden, Berg, and Hesse became grand duchies.

The confederation’s creation helped bring about the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire on 6 August 1806, when Emperor Francis II renounced the imperial crown. It should not be confused with the later German Confederation, established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The Confederation of the Rhine collapsed in 1813 after Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig and the defection of several German rulers.