On coming to power, perhaps unsure of his power and how far he would go, he claimed this new constitution would follow the ideas of the Revolution. The ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity were to constitute his representative government.
However, Napoleons constitution was contradictory to what the revolution supported. As Napoleon grew in power and in confidence the then cautious “son” now, became more aggressive. In 1801, he said “We finished with the romance of the Revolution; we must now begin its history”.
One of the most basic principles of the Jacobin revolution was that the sovereignty of France laid with the people and not upon a Monarchy, the idea of fraternity and of people having a freedom was followed. Napoleon who had witnessed both a Monarchy and the people in control, took his own conclusions and due to events such as the September Massacres would not allow what he saw as chaos to rule France. His coronation, taking the crown from the Pope and placing it on his own head, was not only a message of how powerful he was but also a message to all French people that sovereignty did not belong to them but to him. Napoleon believed sovereignty of the public would not entitle people to a say in the government but with to a ruler who would govern them as they pleased. He believed people wanted him; he portrayed himself as an enlightened despot. The “son” had now destroyed one of the three pillars imposed by his “father” as he was closest to the Ancien Regime than to the Revolution, in 1808.
Equality, perhaps the most important of the revolutions principles was another ideal torn apart by Napoleon. Napoleon confirmed the abolition of Feudalism, also established a civil code which states equality in relation to legislation and laws. The right to own property was also safe, but that was about it. His Legion of Honour, and the awarding of titles and honours was a clearly a contradiction to equality as these could be bought and kept for life. He claimed that everyone had the chance to be a Duke or have a title but this was untrue, the Nobility was strictly made of the old Nobility, the Bourgeoisie and other people who were awarded for military services. According to Napoleon, courage and talent should be rewarded without distinction of birth but this statement was false as nobility and privileges were bought.
Agricultural workers and peasants were unable to reach success, land was expensive for them to buy and reaching a successful carrier was virtually impossible. To get on in professions a good education and qualifications were necessary. The church ran private schools and they were very costly, free education was only awarded for sons of officers in the Lycées. Most citizens were illiterate. The possibility of careers open to talent and promotion persisted on who you knew and where you came from, than on merit.
Even taxation, which was a massive issue in the revolution, was not equal in Napoleon’s France. He increased indirect taxation in a large scale, consuming good such as tobacco, playing card and alcohol were overwhelming expensive and taxation was absurd. The “son” showing himself to be disobedient, destroyed another ideal or pillar set by his “father”.
Napoleon knew liberty was not one of his biggest virtues, he thought liberty would bring him political instability therefore he applied restrictions. Liberty of action and freedom of speech were strictly restricted. Women lost practically all rights they gained and now were again properties of their husbands or fathers. The use of censorship, propaganda and of a secret police helped him maintain his rule at the expense of liberty.
I can conclude that Napoleon in fact brought the Revolution to an end. He had no passion for the principles of the revolution. Napoleon, a son of the revolution, having used it as a stepping stone to grow and reach his final title of Emperor. The son learnt that equality, fraternity and liberty could not rule an empire; they would bring failure and terror to his government. Nevertheless, he centralized his power and willingly used his army to alter the make up of the governments, which were ideas of the Directory. Napoleon retrieved the ideas he thought were necessary and would bring him success form his “father” but others, were discarded. Napoleon was in fact a creation of the revolution as he rose to power because of the situation France was in, though he did not back up its principles using his own ideals created from a combination of both the Revolution and the Monarchy.
Sources:
Napoleon: For and Against – P. Geyl (1949)
Napoleon, France and Europe – Andrina Stiles and Dylan Reses
