Napoleon wanted to get rid of any record that was unpleasant towards him. As a result, he established a severe restriction plan, in which he controlled the media. In addition, he hired several artists to design paintings of himself, where he appears to be a powerful and an extraordinary leader.
An especially controversial issue was egalitarianism. Napoleon introduced modification, changing the legal system, which was based on the revolutionary aims and the Civil Code. This code was a substitute for the distinctive officially authorized arrangement that was utilized throughout France. Moreover, is recognizes the typical regulations being assigned to the all of the French citizens. The French liked this code, for not only did it unite the country, but also it opposed to the old regime. Furthermore, Napoleon set up the Legion of Honor, consisting of the capacity of being recognized before social class, which according to the French civilians has transformed and improved the new chain of command.
The new hierarchy was justified on the basis of meritocracy…The process occurred in stages, beginning with the creation of the Legion of Honor and a host of titles which were not hereditary. By 1804, and the replacement of the Republic with the Empire, Napoleon had begun the creation of a court with hereditary princely titles; this subsequently became part of a full hereditary Imperial nobility (Alexander, 47-48).
The social elite Napoleon created by imposing a system where these 'nobles' were essentially favored was synonymous to the pre revolutionary era in France. This was contradictory in the sense that it was not consistent with revolutionary principles.
True, no individual was formally excluded from a title of the basis of religious creed or lowly social birth, and there were some remarkable examples of the most common born rising to high places. Yet in granting honors on the basis of service to the state, Napoleon favored certain groups. Military men gained by far the largest share of titles, with state official and administrators coming in a distant second (Alexander, 48).
In order to please his nation and accomplish his own objectives, Napoleon combined his thoughts with the ones of the previous rule.
Napoleon did not utterly have faith in equality for he disapproved the freedom of women. However, he did establish the civil code and brought his nation together “Napoleon’s attitude to women marked a complete departure from the liberalizing tendencies of the Revolution; he insisted on a complete return to Roman Law, and the subjection of wives to their husbands” (Lee, 24). He strained the substandard social standings of the roles women had for their spouse. “Feminist writers often point to the Napoleonic codes as a capstone of Revolutionary gender bias. There is a certain point to this. The civil code was patriarchal in character, consistently enhancing the legal status of the eldest male in a family, depriving married women of property rights, and creating a remarkable double standard when it came to matters such as divorce or acting as legal witness” (Alexander, 52). In society, men were the ones that dominated example. For example, were the ones that were entitled to land privileges and they controlled their wives. Women did not become apparent during this time called the “Napoleonic era”.
As a matter of fact, the revolution had enormous restrictions concerning the liberty if women in French society. However, women affected and influenced the decisions being made by public officers (Alexander, 53). Major crowds of liberals called the Jacobins were managing the influences women had on them. “Thus Jacobins not only repressed women who had organized in public associations, they also advocated theories of separate gender spheres which consigned women strictly to domesticity “ (Alexander, 53). Napoleon reused the principles of the Revolution, and simply emphasized on ideas that have previously been adopted.
“The belief that all French people must unite in embarking on a revolution which would bring a better and more just future for all citizens.” (Alexander, 52) This previous phrase is the definition of fraternity, something established by Napoleon. During Napoleons rule, many wars were fought by the French army, which as a result brought unison to the country. Nonetheless, he paid close attention on recognizing the expansion and militarization of his domain, and due to that Napoleon was constantly searching for power “Yet under Bonaparte France had clearly passed from defending her Revolution to imposing Napoleonic order abroad; the militarization of society that had helped accomplish this was intended to be permanent ” (Alexander, 51). In order to fulfill Napoleon’s desire for control, France’s territorial limits were increasing at a fast rate.
Economically speaking Napoleon evidently altered the system. For instance, in order to make sure that there would not be a financial reproduction of the “Bourbon era”, he abundantly used the more constructive policies. (Lee, 22). Disobeying revolutionary intentions, Napoleon aimed his economical improvements towards the ancient regime’s economical system. Additionally, he instated the “metallic base frequency. His awareness concerning the financial system kept up with the economical system during the 18th century.
Perhaps the most obvious return to the practices of the ancien regime, however, was Napoleon’s preference for indirect taxation at the expense of direct. He established an Excise Bureau in 1804 and subsequently imposed heavy duties on beer, alcohol, wine and salt. By 1810 he had reversed the Revolution’s emphasis on direct taxes and had, apparently, adopted a series of measures similar to those of eighteenth-century Prussia” (Lee, 22).
Because of Napoleons rule, numerous political guiding principles were modified. By focusing on the ancient regime, Napoleon, the leader of France was in opposition towards the revolution. During his rule, the ancient regime was reflected through the monarchial judgments. “Like Louis XIV, he was upheld by the concept of Divine Right. An extract from a catechism used by the French Church after 1804 reads:‘ God has established him as our sovereign and had made him the minister of His power and His image on earth’. He also adopted, in 1807, the title le Grand, thus following the example previously set by eighteenth-century rulers like Peter I, Frederick II and Catherine II” (Lee, 20). Napoleon seized the opportunity to fulfill his hunger and strive for power by taking advantage of the revolution.
To conclude, whether Napoleon was the son or enemy of the revolution remains a matter of debate. He embraced revolutionary ideologies, yet employed dictatorial methods. “ At one extreme, Napoleon appeared as a manifestation of Revolution, especially in those parts of Europe which had not previously been affected by revolutionary upheaval. At the other, the Napoleonic Empire was seen as a perversion of the revolutionary ideal; Trotsky, for example, later used Bonapartism as a term of abuse to describe the capture of a revolution by military reactionaries” (Lee, 25). Napoleon encouraged and stimulated his people because of his powerful acts to bring his people together.
Bibliography
Lee, Stephen. Aspects of European History. London: Routledge, 1982.
Alexander, Robert. Themes in Modern European History. London: Routledge, 1995.
