Napoleon Rule in France. Revision notes.

• In November 1799, Napoleon called together the council of 500 and demanded that it change the constitution to reflect the views of Sieyes and the other conspirators.

• The council of 500 refused and began to hurl abuse at him.

• Troops were called in: coup d’état of 18 Brumaire.
• Abolished a fourth government (since the revolution began ten years before)

• Consulate = three parts

• Council of state drafted laws
• Tribunate debate laws
• The legislative assembly passes or rejects legislation without discussion.
• Elected by citizens.
• Napoleon was the first consul.

• Napoleon introduced stability.

• Business = Stable currency, Aristocrats and royalists = legal stable system, Terrorists and regicides legal system that would protect them, Manufacturers = stable demand for their wares, Catholics meant stable religious system, nationalists = unite France.

• The concordat of 1801 re-established the catholic church in France

• Church lands that had been confiscated under the civil constitution would not be returned.
• The clergy would continue to be appointed by the French government, but had to be confirmed by the Pope.
• The French gov’t would pay the French clergy a reasonably salary.
• Napoleon pledged that the majority of the French people would be catholic.
• Clergy were placed under the authority of the pope.
• Catholic worship was allowed
• Catholic seminaries in France were reopened.
• By signing the Concordat, the Pope recognized the legitimacy of the French Republic.

The Code Napoleon

• Napoleon assembled a commission of jurists to carry out reorganization of the civil administration of France.
• By 1804 the Civil Code was ready to be published: code of civil procedure, a code of criminal procedure, a commercial code, and a penal code over the course of the following five years.

Economy

• 30,000,000 francs were divided into 30000 shares.
• By 1806 the bank was experiencing difficulties so Napoleon took over.
• The bank notes became legal tender in 1848.
• The Napoleonic Code also set out the rights for the French workers.

• The code banned organized labour unions.
• Workers were required to carry passbooks, and were forbidden from taking legal action against their employers.
• As bread prices rose, Napoleon restricted the exports of grain.
• Taxation was regularized. Tax exemptions were abolished.

Social Policy

• Government and military careers were open to those who had talent: no social standing, political connection, or wealth a guarantee position.
• Education was seen as a path to career. It was more widely accessible.
• Women did not have as much rights.

• Husband controlled all rights to property, including children
• Even if the property was owned by the wife, she needed her husband’s consent to sell it or to leverage it for a loan.
• Established legality of civil marriage and divorce, a wife’s ability to bring divorce proceedings against her husband was severely limited.