Napoleon Bonaparte 3 Essay Research Paper Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte 3 Essay, Research Paper

Napoleon Bonaparte s natural character can best be exemplified of that being of a revolutionary and nationalist individual. The political, social, and economic reforms personify Napoleon Bonaparter s natural characteristics as both a revolutionary and a nationalist. Napoleon Bonaparte s characteristics as a revolutionary can be seen is his consolidation and institutionalization of many reforms of the French Revolution during his leadership of France. In addition, Napoleon s nationalist attributes can be best expressed in his ambitions to strengthen the power of France and the waging of the many wars in Europe historically referred as the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon Bonaparte s revolutionary and nationalist attributes are characterized in his political reforms. At first Napoleon favored the republic established by the French Revolution and he supported the Jacobins. Soon after he joined Abbe Sieyes in a successful coup d etat to overthrow the Directory. In overthrowing the Directory, Napoleon issued the Constitution of the Year VIII. The new constitution was established universal male suffrage that suggested democratic principles, a complicated system of checks and balances that appealed to republican theory, and a Council of State the evoked memories of Louis XIV. The new constitution in fact established the rule of one man the First Consul, Bonaparte. He was elected the First Consul, he was the first modern political figure to use the rhetoric of revolution and nationalism, to back it with military force, and to combine those elements into a mighty weapon of imperial expansion in the service of his own power and ambition. He can also illustrate his characteristic as a revolutionary by establishing an empirical government in France. As First Consul, Napoleon issued a general amnesty and employed in his own service persons from all political factions. He was ruthless and efficient in suppressing opposition, he established a highly centralized administration in which prefects directly responsible to the central government in Paris managed all departments, and he also employed secret police. All of these political reforms characterized his revolutionary attributes due to the fact that he embodied reforms that changed the political structure of France; also these reform characterized his nationalist attributes in that these political reforms were for the good of the state of France.

The social reforms that Napoleon Bonaparte instituted distinguish his traits of an individual as a revolutionary and nationalist. Napoleon continued the policy, of the French Revolution, of abolishing all the social inequality that marked the Old Regime. His social reforms safeguarded all forms of property and tried to make French society secure against internal challenges. Employment of salaried officials chosen on the basis of merit replaced the purchase of offices. Hereditary social distinctions were abolished, feudal privileges disappeared, and the peasants were freed from serfdom and manorial dues. In the towns, the guilds and the local oligarchies that had been dominant for centuries were dissolved or deprived of their power. New freedom thus came to serfs, artisans, workers, and entrepreneurs outside the privileged circles. The established churches lost their traditional independence and were made subordinate to the state. Church monopoly of religion was replaced by general toleration. These reforms interpret Napoleon s trait as a revolutionary individual in that he abolished the social order of the Old Regime, also the social reforms define his character as a nationalist in that these social reforms were intended first for his own glory and that of France.

Napoleon Bonaparte s economic reforms in France also illustrate his revolutionary and nationalist traits. Napoleon Bonaparte introduced new economic policies and also kept reforms made to the economy by the French Revolution. To begin, Napoleon reformed the tax structure, this exempted no person or persons from paying their taxes because of birth or privilege. Amazingly, people willingly, began to pay their taxes. Napoleon also authorized a central banking system. Because of the new reforms, French industries flourished under the protection of the state. Napoleon also extended the infrastructure of roads, which were essential for the expansion of national and European markets. The French currency was stabilized and was the most stable in Europe until after World War I. In 1802, Napoleon was successful in achieving the balancing of the budget in France. Taxes came from reasonable sources taxes were raised on alcohol and tobacco. The major economical reform was Napoleon s establishment of the National Bank of France. This improved France s ability to finance wars without the worry of inflation, which had been a problem for most French governments before and after 1789. These extensive economic reforms symbolize the nature of Napoleon Bonaparte s character of that of being a revolutionary in that he introduced new reformed economic policies and in that he kept some economic policy first established by the French Revolution. The objective of these economic reforms was to strengthen the economy of France, thus also symbolizing his character of that being a nationalist in that he wanted to help the well being of his domestic domain of France.

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