How far was Napoleon a son of the revolution?
Introduction:
French Revolution was motivated and shaped by various ideas
Well known revolutionary slogan “Liberty! Equality! Fraternity”
reflects the political philosophy of the Enlightenment and the writers
of the time
Many revolutionary ideas borrowed from other political systems eg.
Constitutional basis of Britain and the American written constitution
Napoleon was not the son of the revolution idealistically – when looking
back at the ideals of the French Revolution – political policies and social
policies reflect this
Arguably, he was realistically in his enforcement of law/military but his
methods of law and order contradicted principles of the French Revolution
Historian Steven Englund said, ‘Napoleon is a character unfinished… a
puzzle-full of contradictions, sublime and vulgar.’
Many historians debate whether Napoleon was “an enlightened despot
who laid the foundations of modern Europe” or “a megalomaniac who
wrought greater misery than any man.” The Continental powers were
willing to give him nearly all his gains and titles until as late as 1808, but
he was overly aggressive and pushed for too much, until his empire
collapsed.
Napoleon famously declared the Revolution perfected and ended in the
Coup d’état of Brumaire in 1799
Second Consul Cambaceres noted in his memoirs that Napoleon was
obsessed with ‘the idea of giving his government the ancient
character which it lacked.’
Why Napoleon the Tuileries Palace as the seat of government and
chose Louis XVI’s apartments to reside in – he was there as a
monarch proving himself to not be a son of the revolution
However, this is not to say that Napoleon did not achieve great military
success, which arguably contributed to the notion of him a hero, a
renowned individual who France owed their large empire to, and which fit
with the ideals of the French revolution
Paragraph 1: Political policies of Napoleon differences with those
of the revolutionary government
Arguments Against:
Visible instruments of oppression in the Ancien Regime were lettres de
cachet – used to detain and imprison individuals without trail or due
process
, Notable figures eg. Voltaire imprisoned by these
Napoleon re-established their penal equivalent by a political
measure in the decree of 1801 on the state prisons
Ironically, the 1804 Napoleonic Code was said to be founded on principles
of equality as it forbade privilege based on birth, allowed freedom of
religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified
It also marked the creation of a more authoritarian and effective
system of repression
It was a combination of ancien regime legal principles and of those
inspired by the revolutionary period
Desire for a constitution was also a prominent feature of the Revolution as
many believed it would place strict limits on power and spell the end of
absolutism and arbitrary decision making
Napoleon’s Constitution of the Year VIII was adopted in 1799 and
established the form of government known as the Consulate
As First Consul, Napoleon established himself as the head of a more
authoritarian, autocratic, and centralised republican government in
France
Consulate allowed Napoleon to consolidate his power in government
eg. Senate chosen by the First Consul and remain for life. True
legislative power was held in the Council of State, people also
chosen by the emperor (Napoleon)
Connelly argues that “Napoleon believed in government for the people but
not by the people. He took the French back to a friendly monarchy, a
benevolent monarchy.”
Arguments For
It could be argued that the Napoleonic Code did help to abolish feudal
privileges and establish the equality of every man before the law
He forced the nations he conquered to accept the new laws he had
created for France, undermining the centuries-old foundations of
European civilisation, marking a difference with the Ancien Regime
He felt he embodied the spirit of the Revolution throughout his rule
Paragraph 2: Social policies of Napoleon differences with those of
the revolutionary government
Arguments Against
Ideas of equality underpinned French revolution
Napoleon did little to full revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality
as far as women were concerned
Literature on gender equality disappeared under Napoleon
When asked what he considered to be the most important woman,
Napoleon answered ‘The one who has the most children.’
Introduction:
French Revolution was motivated and shaped by various ideas
Well known revolutionary slogan “Liberty! Equality! Fraternity”
reflects the political philosophy of the Enlightenment and the writers
of the time
Many revolutionary ideas borrowed from other political systems eg.
Constitutional basis of Britain and the American written constitution
Napoleon was not the son of the revolution idealistically – when looking
back at the ideals of the French Revolution – political policies and social
policies reflect this
Arguably, he was realistically in his enforcement of law/military but his
methods of law and order contradicted principles of the French Revolution
Historian Steven Englund said, ‘Napoleon is a character unfinished… a
puzzle-full of contradictions, sublime and vulgar.’
Many historians debate whether Napoleon was “an enlightened despot
who laid the foundations of modern Europe” or “a megalomaniac who
wrought greater misery than any man.” The Continental powers were
willing to give him nearly all his gains and titles until as late as 1808, but
he was overly aggressive and pushed for too much, until his empire
collapsed.
Napoleon famously declared the Revolution perfected and ended in the
Coup d’état of Brumaire in 1799
Second Consul Cambaceres noted in his memoirs that Napoleon was
obsessed with ‘the idea of giving his government the ancient
character which it lacked.’
Why Napoleon the Tuileries Palace as the seat of government and
chose Louis XVI’s apartments to reside in – he was there as a
monarch proving himself to not be a son of the revolution
However, this is not to say that Napoleon did not achieve great military
success, which arguably contributed to the notion of him a hero, a
renowned individual who France owed their large empire to, and which fit
with the ideals of the French revolution
Paragraph 1: Political policies of Napoleon differences with those
of the revolutionary government
Arguments Against:
Visible instruments of oppression in the Ancien Regime were lettres de
cachet – used to detain and imprison individuals without trail or due
process
, Notable figures eg. Voltaire imprisoned by these
Napoleon re-established their penal equivalent by a political
measure in the decree of 1801 on the state prisons
Ironically, the 1804 Napoleonic Code was said to be founded on principles
of equality as it forbade privilege based on birth, allowed freedom of
religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified
It also marked the creation of a more authoritarian and effective
system of repression
It was a combination of ancien regime legal principles and of those
inspired by the revolutionary period
Desire for a constitution was also a prominent feature of the Revolution as
many believed it would place strict limits on power and spell the end of
absolutism and arbitrary decision making
Napoleon’s Constitution of the Year VIII was adopted in 1799 and
established the form of government known as the Consulate
As First Consul, Napoleon established himself as the head of a more
authoritarian, autocratic, and centralised republican government in
France
Consulate allowed Napoleon to consolidate his power in government
eg. Senate chosen by the First Consul and remain for life. True
legislative power was held in the Council of State, people also
chosen by the emperor (Napoleon)
Connelly argues that “Napoleon believed in government for the people but
not by the people. He took the French back to a friendly monarchy, a
benevolent monarchy.”
Arguments For
It could be argued that the Napoleonic Code did help to abolish feudal
privileges and establish the equality of every man before the law
He forced the nations he conquered to accept the new laws he had
created for France, undermining the centuries-old foundations of
European civilisation, marking a difference with the Ancien Regime
He felt he embodied the spirit of the Revolution throughout his rule
Paragraph 2: Social policies of Napoleon differences with those of
the revolutionary government
Arguments Against
Ideas of equality underpinned French revolution
Napoleon did little to full revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality
as far as women were concerned
Literature on gender equality disappeared under Napoleon
When asked what he considered to be the most important woman,
Napoleon answered ‘The one who has the most children.’
