Napoleon rose to power through a coup and was later crowned Emperor of France in 1804. At the height of his power from 1807-1812, he controlled much of Europe either directly or through puppet rulers. However, his overreach and costly mistakes led to his downfall. The failed Continental System blockade against Britain, the costly Peninsular War in Spain and Portugal, and the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 resulted in the loss of over 300,000 troops and marked the beginning of Napoleon's decline. He was eventually defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and exiled to St. Helena, where he died in 1821.