11.3 Project - The Age of Napoleon
By:SaraElnady,Charlie Marshall, Jenny Rowan,Kevin Penkowski
Restructuring of Government
Before Napoleon the government was the Directory Also, the Constitution of 1795 established a national legislative assembly that had two chambers. The Council of 500 and the Council of Elders. The Council of 500 initiated legislation and the Council of Elders accepted or rejected proposing laws. Finally, the government faced many political enemies.
Napoleon overthrew the Directory. He created a new government called the consulate. It was a republic even though Napoleon held absolute power. Napoleon appointed members of bureaucracy, controlled gov., conducted foreign affairs, and influenced the legislature.
For the most part, most of what Napoleon did in the gov. did go with the French Revolution. Positions in the french gov. and the Aristocracy could have gone with or against the revolution. His Napoleonic Code did go with the revolution.
- Napoleon's changes in the gov. were very efficient and his legacy did go beyond his rule. He created the republic in France.
Educational System
Before Napoleon there was a lack of schools, teachers, and manners in students. There was even some absence of religious education.
Napoleon wanted to change the education on the middle class. The Concordat between the Pope and Napoleon re-established some religious schools. These schools were available to girls and boys, but they did not receive the same education. He stressed that girls learn household chores and religion. The boys were divided by age, under twelve and over twelve. According to these ages they would receive different types of teaching. The first few years would be aimed at teaching writing, history, and warfare. Then in the later years they were divided again, by those who would go into a civil career and military career. After teaching men were easily able to get a job, while women were getting a husband.
These reforms were against Revolutionary ideas. This is because during the revolution there was a stress on women being treating equally to men, but these reforms were unequal. During the Revolution religion was also taken away, while Napoleon re-established the teaching of religion in schools.
- Napoleon’s idea of education left an impact on France’s education, but the ideas were changed through the years. The idea of primary and secondary school stayed but the teaching of religion was taken away from public schools.
Financial System
Before Napoleon, the people of France were poor and the economy was poor due to large amounts of spending on wars and luxuries in Versailles. The peasants, who made up 98% of the population, had to survive of bread while the French King and Queen were drove the country into financial disaster.
Napoleon built canals and roads to encourage trade and a new industry that increased the interest in new goods. Napoleon created the Bank of France and a balanced budget that allowed France to have a stable economy.
During the Revolution, France’s economical state was poor from large amounts of spending on war and luxuries in Versailles while the 98% of the population was starving and surviving off of bread.
- Created the Bank of France and a stable economy.
Legal System
Before Napoleon came to power, France’s legal system was very confusing. France did not have a single set of laws but had almost 300 different legal systems.
Napoleon came to power and made all the laws into seven codes of law for the Nation of France.
This went against the revolutionary ideas as even though this preserved some rights gained during the revolution, this curtailed many rights, including those for women which put them as a lesser being in the codes.
- This had a lasting impact on France as he created a new centralized bureaucracy.
Concordat of 1801
Before Napoleon, the National Convention attempted to dechristianize themselves by eliminating Sundays from the week, starting their own calendar, and other actions that made them the enemy of the church, but the people could not accept it as most of the population was Christian.
Napoleon made peace with the Pope and made an agreement with him to make Catholicism the religion of the majority of the French people and in return he would not ask for the return of holy lands taken during the revolution.
This it was different from the French Revolution because the National Convention tried to dechristianize France and Napoleon brought back peace with the church.
- The Concordat remained in effect until 1905.
Citations
Markham, J. David. "The Revolution, Napoleon, and Education." The Revolution, Napoleon, and Education. The Napoleon Series, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
"Napoleon Makes an Impact." Elliewilson1314. N.p., 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Richard Moore. "Code Napoleon: Civil Code." N.p., n.d. Web.