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How Did Napoleonic Code Reflect The French Revolution

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Following Napoleon’s coup d’etat, he both embraced and reversed ideals of the French
Revolution. Napoleon’s institution of an equal code of law called the Napoleonic Code satisfied the Enlightenment ideal of equality, but his decision to rule as a powerful military monarch contradicted the institutions set by The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. These contradictory and controversial methods of strong monarchy, empire building, and de jure equality called negative attention to Napoleon’s image. In the late eighteenth century, the National Assembly overthrew Louis XVI’s regime and replaced it with a more violent republic guided by Robespierre. The revolution was based on ideals of equality and republicanism or representative …show more content…

The Code instated public trials by jury, an essential element of republicanism. Napoleon’s purpose was to increase his influence across the continent through his brothers, as he managed to achieve in Spain under Giuseppe Bonaparte. Others in Europe saw Napoleon as a threat to their autonomy, as seen in a political cartoon placing France on the same level as the British Empire in terms of expansion, dividing up the globe to consume (3). Along with empire building, Napoleon made reforms to prisons, infrastructure, and created more unity among the people of France (5). According to him, the people of France loved Napoleon, and Alfred de Vigny attested to this. A French soldier, Vigny proclaimed that young men aspired to be involved in Napoleon’s wars as soon as they escaped from school (6). Under Napoleon, France seemed to be consistently involved with wars involving Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Britain, which created heightened nationalism in France. Metternich accurately described Napoleon, with both respect and scrutiny, as a man whose purest interest was military victory (7). Reflecting on Napoleon’s life, the conservative foreign minister Metternich understood the problem with judging historical figures as “good or bad” and simply learned from Napoleon’s influential power over

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Eventually, Napoleon gained more power over France’s military than French government of the time. Napoleon Bonaparte supported a sense of French nationalism, a tool which helped him muster such a large army. Napoleon had many domestic achievements over the time of his ruling. For Napoleon, politics became little more than a facade, especially after Napoleon assumed the imperial title. There were elected representative

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After the French Revolution, a Corsican artillery officer, named Napoleon Bonaparte, became the emperor of France in 1804. After playing a significant role in trying retake the French port of Toulon, occupied by the British, he was appointed general at the age of 26 in 1793. This marked the beginning of the Napoleonic Era, which would change the course of European history for centuries. However, despite claiming to be a strong supporter of the French Revolution, Napoleon mostly undermined the goals of the Revolution by violating the Declaration of the Rights of Man, insisting on returning to principles of the Old Regime in regards to women, the imposition of taxes and the re-establishment of the social elite. Nonetheless, Napoleon still supported the main goals of the Revolution by establishing the Civil Code and supporting the peasantry by lowering bread prices.

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During the 18th and 19th century, revolutions were happening on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, facilitated by the ease with which ideas and information could travel by sea. These revolutions aimed to produce liberty and equality for all, a radical new idea that came about in the Enlightenment Era. The French Revolution began in 1789, when the French National Assembly wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It continued in 1792 and 1793, when the constitution was written, and culminated in 1818, when France finally abolished slave trade. The French Revolution best lived up to the Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality because of the rights and freedoms that were guaranteed to every citizen without discrimination through two important documents: the Constitution and the Rights of Man.

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Knowledge is a power. Secondly, Napoleon made his own law code called the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic code. This code not only symbolized the ideas of the Enlightenment Era, but also the ideas of the French Revolution where the equality of all citizens came before the law, religious tolerance, and the elimination of feudalism. As Napoleon said through his letter to his brother, “The benefits of the Code Napoleon (Napoleonic Code), public trial, and the introduction of juries will be the leading features of your Government…

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Napoleon Bonaparte greatest work was the creation of the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic Code gave revelation the country a uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices. However, because the Napoleonic Code promoted order and authority over individual rights, it limited freedom of speech and the press. These rights were all important components that were established during the French Revolution. Not only did the Napoleonic Code take away many rights from the citizens, this code also restored slavery in the French Colonies in the Caribbean.

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He created the Code Napoleon, which guaranteed equality under the law, regulation of the economy, absolute security of wealth and private property, and the end of feudalism (Pagano “Napoleon Domestic Program Good”). The Code Napoleon showed his desire for lower class citizens, such as poor farmers, to have an equal opportunity to succeed. His actions to regulate the economy alleviated the issues with taxing the Third Estate faced. Napoleon extended liberty even to those he conquered. In a speech to troops, Napoleon said that “there is one condition you must swear to fulfill - to respect the people whom you liberate...your property, your religion, and your customs will be respected” (Document 1).

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The Napoleonic Code, introduced in 1804, United many reforms of the French Revolution in one body of laws. This code had a positive effect on society because it gave all citizens equal rights under law and also gave them the right to work in any occupation. In addition, religious toleration was strengthened and the abolishment of feudalism continued in France. The Napoleonic Code is considered to be one of Napoleon’s greatest accomplishments in his governing of France. The code recognized the demands and needs of the people, yet still continued to preserve Napoleon’s control and

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