Essay on What Was Napoleon's Role in the French Revolution

Bonaparte is known as the most famous military leader in France. Many see the ruler as inadequate because he led to the downfall of France, but Napoleon did not only just lead armies. He was the emperor of France and created many reforms in the French government. Napoleon Bonaparte was a virtuous leader because he reformed France. Bonaparte established the Napoleonic code which granted all male citizens uniform rights and an equal tax system. He also provided an education system for all men.

Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769. He was born in Corsica, a Mediterranean island, but he spent most of his childhood in France because he attended a school on the mainland of France. His parents, Letizia Romalino Bonaparte and Carlo Buonaparte had eight children, but only two survived, one of whom was Napoleon. Napoleon soon learned the French language due to his education, and in 1785 he graduated from the French military academy. After graduation, he became a part of an artillery regiment for the French army, where he served as a second lieutenant (“Napoleonic Code Approved in France”). In 1796 Napoleon married an attractive woman, Josephine de Beauharnais. With many military triumphs, Napoleon slowly rose to power and soon became emperor of France. Due to his wife, Josephine, being infertile he divorced and remarried an 18-year-old girl. She was the daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria, and her name was Archduchess Marie Louise. Together they had one child named Napoleon (a WBO Student). Napoleon had great energy and ambition while leading France, but his ambition ultimately led to his downfall, where he was exiled to an island called Saint Helena in October of 1815. He then died there on May 5, 1821 (at 51 years old). It was said that he most likely died of stomach cancer, but no one is 100% sure (“Napoleonic Code Approved in France”).

“The goal of the French Revolution was to replace France’s all-powerful king with a government that gave citizens “liberty, equality, and fraternity.” Bonaparte supported the ideal of equality - fair, predictable laws that protected the rights of citizens” (Heuston 64). In 1800 Napoleon came to power and began the vigorous and time-consuming task of revising France’s outdated legal system. It took him four years of planning and questioning to decide whether or not to enact the Napoleonic code. Napoleon established a special group of people, called a commission, to meet and discuss the legal revisions for France. This special commission met more than 80 times and in 1804 the code was established and known as the “new legal framework” for France. This set of laws reformed France and gave structure after the revolution. (“Napoleonic Code Approved in France”). The code was based on the articles in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which General Lafayette wrote as a result of the French Revolution (“‘Code Napoleon’ and ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man’ Comparison”). Under the Napoleonic Code, all men were granted equal rights and the right to religious freedom (“Napoleonic Code Approved in France”). Article one of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, says “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen). Napoleon wanted the Napoleonic code to make all men born free and equal. Social differences, like religion, should not matter. Napoleon wanted every French citizen to have an impact on this new government, in article 6 it says, ”Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate… All citizens … are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen). Everyone influences the law. Every citizen has a right to participate through their representative. All citizens are thought to be equal under the law, they all have an equal chance to get a job according to abilities, not social ranking. These articles were used to create the Napoleonic Code, which was applied to the territories under Napoleon’s power. They also influenced the laws of South America and many other European countries (Napoleonic Code Approved in France). The Napoleonic Code gives uniform rights to all men.

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Before Napoleon rose to power the French taxation system collapsed, which was a key factor in the French Revolution (McLean). During the revolution, the three estates of France would draft up Cahiers, which are lists of grievances (“Cahiers De Doléances”). When Napoleon came to power he created an efficient taxation system that granted a steady flow of money, he took into mind all these grievances and fixed them (McLean). “Napoleon set up an efficient method of tax collection… In addition to ensuring the government a steady supply of tax money, this action promoted sound financial management” (Beck, Roger B). Before Napoleon the economy was not successful, this was because of the French Revolution, and under his control, France’s economy stabilized. Many grievances were taken into consideration when Napoleon was improving the economy. One grievance said there should not be an increase in taxes until all the debts and payments were paid off. As stated in Cahier of 1789, The Third Estate of Versailles, Art.33,” There shall be no increase in taxation until the receipts and expenditures have been compared with the utmost care”(Cahier of 1789, The Third Estate of Versailles). If taxation is needed then it must be approved by the people’s representatives and permitted by the king. Art.21 in the same Cahier says, “No tax shall be legal unless accepted by the people's representatives and sanctioned by the king” (Cahier of 1789, The Third Estate of Versailles). Later in the Cahier (Art.26) it says,” All new taxes,... shall be established only for a limited time, never to exceed two or three years. At the expiration of this term, they shall be no longer collected”(Cahier of 1789, The Third Estate of Versailles). All new taxes should only last for two or three years, when the time is up no more money should be collected. Another Cahier says that if they need to pay taxes in case of war, then the amount should be determined by each person’s wealth. Someone who is bringing home more money should pay a higher tax than someone who is barely able to put food on the table for their family. “Art. 29. The amount which each citizen shall be obliged to pay, in case of war, because of an increase in the existing taxes, at a certain rate per livre (currency), shall be determined beforehand by the States General in conjunction with the king” (Cahier of 1789, The Third Estate of Versailles). For example, the first estate, which is made up of clergy, should pay more in taxes than the second estate, which is made up of nobility. This is because the clergy make more money than the nobility. All these Cahiers were used to create an efficient tax system in France. This new taxation system that Napoleon created granted the country a prosperous economy.

Napoleon granted all men a chance at education. He established tons of new lychees in France. Lycées are secondary schools founded by the government for boys ages 10-16. Boys who went to these schools were able to have a position in the bureaucracy or military. Napoleon recognized the importance of education for young men (“Napoleonic Reforms”). These Lycées are so important that every court in a district had at least one lycée, “There shall be at least one lycée for each tribunal of appeal district” (“Documents upon Napoleon and Education”). These government-controlled schools were created to teach young boys language and science, to help them prepare for a jab in the government or military, ”Lycées shall be established for instruction in letters and the sciences” (Documents upon Napoleon and Education). There should be at least eight professors per lycées, the government can increase the amount of professors if they see fit. If more students are attending one lycee than the other the government would hire more professors. The main reason why Napoleon set up these schools was to replace corrupt officials with law-abiding ones, “Napoleon also took steps to corruption and inefficiency in the government. He dismissed corrupt officials and, to provide the government with trained officials set up Lycées, or government-run public schools” (Beck 230). These lycés gave all young men a chance at valuable education to get high-paying jobs in the government or military.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a positive monarch because he improved France. Bonaparte established the Napoleonic code which granted all male citizens equal rights and a fair tax system. He also created an education system for all young men. These examples show how Napoleon was a virtuous leader.

Works Cited

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