In 1810 Napoleon wrote ‘My principle is France before
everything.’ To what extent did the career of Napoleon
from 1799 to 1815 follow this principle?
Paragraph 1: Centralisation of power did not follow principle
1799 New Constitution
o 1802 Napoleon becomes Consul for life
o Napoleon dominated Council of State, controlled the
legislative agenda and eliminated checks and balances
o Senate were members for life, nominated by First Consul
o Council of State were all members chosen by First Consul
February 1800 - Napolean changed how the 83 departments of
France were administered
o They had wide powers and responsibilities, including
appointing officials who served under them
o First Consul also appointed the mayors and nominated the
members of various councils
o At First Consul Napolean exercised highly centralised
control of the administration of France as well as considerable
powers of patronage
Civil Code 1804 reflected Napoleon’s ideas on authority and
discipline to a large extent
o Reintroduction of slavery in French colonies
o Considerable authority given to male head of household
Unfaithful wives and disobedient children could be
imprisoned
Married women could not own property independent of
their husband
Adultery was grounds for divorcing a wife but for a
woman to divorce her husband, the other woman had to
be brought into the home
Concordat 1801 secured a tax-paying Church obedient to the
state
Creation of a distinctly efficient and repressive Ministry of Police
under Joseph Fouché in 1804 served the further undermine the
principle of liberty and make the expression of dissent an imprudent
step
"Napoleon centralized power in his own person to an extent never before
seen in France, creating an authoritarian state that mirrored and indeed
surpassed the most centralized regimes of the Bourbon monarchy." –
Philip Dwyer
Restricted freedom of the press, controlled information flow and
imposed strict censorship
Political opponents and critics were often arrested, such as Jean-
Baptise Louvert
, Reinstated elements of hereditary nobility to create a new
aristocracy loyal to him
After 1808 an entire imperial nobility was created with princes,
dukes, counts and barons
Legion of Honour established as an order of merit to reward
loyalists
o 38,000 members by 1814 - mostly soldiers
Napoleon even felt able to amend the church catechisms to
teach the people to revere and obey Napoleon himself – created
a St Napoleon’s day on 16 August
Establishment of Emperor status
o Moved into the Tuileries palace and began to develop a
court life with ceremonies and etiquette
o Emigres allowed to return
o Napoleon depicted as the heir to the great medieval
emperor Charlemagne
January 1800 - 60 Parisian newspapers were closed
o By the end of 1800, only 9 newspapers remained
o By 1811, there were only 4, each with its own censor
o Editors were expected to avoid controversial subjects and to
rely for their news on the official government publications - Le
Moniteur
o All other publications - books, plays, lectures and posters -
were reported on and censored
o By 1810 there was a formal system of censors
o Secret police and networks of informers
o Napolean relied on a more developed system of surveillance
and control than was usual in Europe of his time
Cult of Napoleon
o Utilised painters such as Jacques-Louis David to depict him in
a carefully controlled heroic style
o Iconic painting ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ depicts Napoleon
on a prancing stallion whereas in reality he crossed the Alps
riding a mule
"Napoleon's censorship was not merely a tool for suppressing dissent; it
was a means of manufacturing a carefully crafted image of the regime,
emphasizing stability and the myth of Napoleon as the saviour of the
Revolution." – David Bell
Paragraph 2: Creation of Empire did not follow principle
because of detrimental impact of foreign policy on France
Invasion of Russia
o Underestimated the Russian forces
o Russian empire had 40 million people in 1812 whereas France
had 29 million and the Empire 144 million
everything.’ To what extent did the career of Napoleon
from 1799 to 1815 follow this principle?
Paragraph 1: Centralisation of power did not follow principle
1799 New Constitution
o 1802 Napoleon becomes Consul for life
o Napoleon dominated Council of State, controlled the
legislative agenda and eliminated checks and balances
o Senate were members for life, nominated by First Consul
o Council of State were all members chosen by First Consul
February 1800 - Napolean changed how the 83 departments of
France were administered
o They had wide powers and responsibilities, including
appointing officials who served under them
o First Consul also appointed the mayors and nominated the
members of various councils
o At First Consul Napolean exercised highly centralised
control of the administration of France as well as considerable
powers of patronage
Civil Code 1804 reflected Napoleon’s ideas on authority and
discipline to a large extent
o Reintroduction of slavery in French colonies
o Considerable authority given to male head of household
Unfaithful wives and disobedient children could be
imprisoned
Married women could not own property independent of
their husband
Adultery was grounds for divorcing a wife but for a
woman to divorce her husband, the other woman had to
be brought into the home
Concordat 1801 secured a tax-paying Church obedient to the
state
Creation of a distinctly efficient and repressive Ministry of Police
under Joseph Fouché in 1804 served the further undermine the
principle of liberty and make the expression of dissent an imprudent
step
"Napoleon centralized power in his own person to an extent never before
seen in France, creating an authoritarian state that mirrored and indeed
surpassed the most centralized regimes of the Bourbon monarchy." –
Philip Dwyer
Restricted freedom of the press, controlled information flow and
imposed strict censorship
Political opponents and critics were often arrested, such as Jean-
Baptise Louvert
, Reinstated elements of hereditary nobility to create a new
aristocracy loyal to him
After 1808 an entire imperial nobility was created with princes,
dukes, counts and barons
Legion of Honour established as an order of merit to reward
loyalists
o 38,000 members by 1814 - mostly soldiers
Napoleon even felt able to amend the church catechisms to
teach the people to revere and obey Napoleon himself – created
a St Napoleon’s day on 16 August
Establishment of Emperor status
o Moved into the Tuileries palace and began to develop a
court life with ceremonies and etiquette
o Emigres allowed to return
o Napoleon depicted as the heir to the great medieval
emperor Charlemagne
January 1800 - 60 Parisian newspapers were closed
o By the end of 1800, only 9 newspapers remained
o By 1811, there were only 4, each with its own censor
o Editors were expected to avoid controversial subjects and to
rely for their news on the official government publications - Le
Moniteur
o All other publications - books, plays, lectures and posters -
were reported on and censored
o By 1810 there was a formal system of censors
o Secret police and networks of informers
o Napolean relied on a more developed system of surveillance
and control than was usual in Europe of his time
Cult of Napoleon
o Utilised painters such as Jacques-Louis David to depict him in
a carefully controlled heroic style
o Iconic painting ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ depicts Napoleon
on a prancing stallion whereas in reality he crossed the Alps
riding a mule
"Napoleon's censorship was not merely a tool for suppressing dissent; it
was a means of manufacturing a carefully crafted image of the regime,
emphasizing stability and the myth of Napoleon as the saviour of the
Revolution." – David Bell
Paragraph 2: Creation of Empire did not follow principle
because of detrimental impact of foreign policy on France
Invasion of Russia
o Underestimated the Russian forces
o Russian empire had 40 million people in 1812 whereas France
had 29 million and the Empire 144 million
