1. The Age of Napoleon Part C

2. 1.To what degree was Napoleon a product of the French Revolution, and to what degree did he end the French Revolution? He gained great military fame during the Revolution, and the revolutionary governments rewarded him with promotions and opportunities to shine While he ruled France, Napoleon claimed that he was preserving the best aspects of the Revolution While he ruled France, Napoleon implemented a system that allowed more people to advance due to their abilities, and less according to their social status at birth But at the same time, Napoleon created a new system of royalty, a system that had previously been abolished during the French Revolution In a sense, regarding the French Revolution, Napoleon preserved parts of the Revolution, and discarded others

3. 2. One of Napoleon’s domestic policies was to establish peace with what? The Catholic Church 3. What were Napoleon’s true religious views? It appears that he was a religious skeptic In Egypt he said he was a “Muslim” In France he said he was “Catholic” It appears that he did not have any firm religious views, and adopted a certain religious view when it helped him to do so

4. 4. In 1801, Napoleon reached a what with the Pope? A Concordat, an agreement, that is, to restore Catholicism to a special place in French society 5. Regarding the Concordat, what did Napoleon’s government recognize Catholicism to be? The majority religion of the French people The Catholic Church was no longer to be seen as the enemy of the French people But…Church lands seized during the Revolution would remain in the hands of those who bought them

5. 6. What was the Napoleonic Code? A code of laws which became the single standard of law for all of France, and for parts of the French Empire Prior to the Napoleonic Code, France had almost 300 different legal systems in place The Napoleonic Code made legal matters more universal and a bit more logical

6. 7. What were some of the principles embedded in the Napoleonic Code, principles in harmony with the ideals of the French Revolution? All citizens are equal before the law Individuals have the right to choose a particular profession or trade Religious toleration was to be established Serfdom (a form of near slavery) was abolished Property rights of individuals were to be respected

7. 8. What aspects of the Napoleonic Code were NOT in harmony with the ideals of the French Revolution? The right to divorce was curtailed, though it was still allowed Women could not inherit property equally with males

8. 9. In what ways did Napoleon establish a new government bureaucracy? Under Napoleon, government officials were hired more frequently on the basis of their abilities, not on their social connections In short, Napoleon’s bureaucracy became something of a “meritocracy,” a government run by those who merited their jobs based on their abilities to do the tasks that were needed

9. 10. Under Napoleon, a new system of nobility was created based on what? Merited state service Napoleon created over 3000 nobles from 1808-1814

10. 11. Thus in what ways did Napoleon’s domestic policies preserve aspects of the ideals of the French Revolution? He preserved the equality of all citizens under law in his Napoleonic Code He expanded the idea government careers should be open to people of all backgrounds based on ability, not birth status

11. 12. In what ways was Napoleon oppressive? He did not expand freedom of speech and press He shut down 60 of France’s 73 newspapers In many respects, Napoleon ruled as something of a dictator Books were subject to censorship The mail (personal letters etc) was subject to inspection by government

12. Painting of Napoleon as a Lawmaker