How far do you think that Napoleon's need to control France in the period after 1799 led him to abandon the principles of the Revolution?
Napoleon-betrayal of revolution 11/05
How far do you think that Napoleon’s need to control France in the period after 1799 led him to abandon the principles of the Revolution?
Plan
What were the principles of the French Revolution
These principles included equality under law, centralisation of government, elimination of feudal rights, religious freedom and careers open to talent, not birth. In short, the three key principles were liberty, equality and fraternity.
Areas of debate where Napoleon could have betrayed the revolution
- Liberty
- Equality
- Fraternity
- Religious Secularisation
Answer
The question of Napoleon’s attitude to the French Revolution is one that has often raised many questions. It cannot be disputed that the French revolution had a considerable influence on Bonaparte’s regime. When one looks at France after Napoleon’s reign it is clear that he had brought much longed for order and stability. He had also established institutions that embodied the main principles of the revolution. However, it is also evident that many of his policies directly contradict those same principles. In order to consider whether Napoleon betrayed the revolution it is necessary to determine whether he upheld its central principles, namely, liberty, equality, fraternity and religious toleration. However, it is clear from the outset that in certain areas Napoleon did betray the constitution whereas in others he worked more closely around it.
One of the four central principles of the revolution was liberty. The revolutionaries advocated individual liberty, rejecting all forms of arbitrary constraint: monopolies on commerce, feudal charges laid upon the land, leftovers of servitude such as serfdom, and even (in 1794) black slavery overseas. They held that political legitimacy required constitutional government, elections, and legislative supremacy. Therefore, it can be argued that Napoleon betrayed liberty as a principle of the French revolution. For example, the Civil Code of 1804 (Code Napoleon) can be seen as illiberal and restrictive in outlook. This is backed up by the fact that a man had total authority over his wife and family. Moreover, Napoleon can be seen as betraying the revolution in that he reintroduced slavery in the French colonies. In addition to this it is argued that Napoleon betrayed the revolution by introducing arbitrary constraint in the form of press censorship. For example, the press became heavily censored when in January 1800 the number of political journals published in Paris was reduced from 73 to just 9. Historian Tom Holmeberg noted that many blame Napoleon for destroying the principle of liberty in France. On the other hand, it can be argued that Napoleon did not betray the principle of liberty. This is backed up by the fact that the revolutionaries themselves were never successful in attaining liberty during the revolution. Historian Albert Vandal stated that “Bonaparte can be reproached for not having established liberty; he cannot be accused of having destroyed it, for the excellent reason that on his return from Egypt he did not find it anywhere in France”. Nonetheless, it could never be a realistic aim of Napoleon to establish liberty while France was in chaos. He believed that liberty would only come with the preservation of order and the consolidation of the triumphs of the revolution. Therefore, liberty was sacrificed. While liberty could not be guaranteed Napoleon would instead assure the French of their rights, in the Napoleonic Code. The Code Napoleon can be seen as guaranteeing some liberty in that it gave legal sanction to some of the important developments of the 1970s including the abolition of feudalism and giving fixed legal title to those who had earlier purchased confiscated church, crown and émigré property (the biens nationaux).
