Following the crushing defeats of the Prussian Army at the Battle of Jena and the Battle of Auerstedt, Napoleon Bonaparte's forces marched into Berlin on October 27, 1806. This event came after a rapid military campaign, where French troops outmaneuvered and overwhelmed the much larger Prussian forces. The battles were characterized by superior tactics employed by the French, including the use of better cavalry and artillery, which proved pivotal. The Prussian armies, led by generals such as Gerhard von Scharnhorst and August von Gneisenau, were unable to mount a successful defense.

The French entry into Berlin was a culmination of months of intense conflict and set the stage for the reorganization of European power dynamics. As French troops paraded through the streets of the city, they were greeted with a mixture of fear and admiration from the local populace. The occupation of Berlin not only represented a military victory but also a significant cultural moment, emphasizing the influence of French revolutionary ideals over the German states. This was a time of uncertainty, as the Prussian government was forced to reflect on its military failures and consider future reforms.

The impact of this event extended far beyond the immediate military conflict. The occupation initiated a period of centralization and modernization within the Prussian military. Reforms led by military thinkers such as von Scharnhorst laid the groundwork for the eventual strength of the Prussian Army in the following decades. Moreover, this moment in Berlin marked the beginning of a new era in European politics, as the Napoleonic Wars continued to reshape alliances and enmities across the continent, leading to a reconfiguration of European power in the first half of the 19th century.