Napoleon’s Foreign and Domestic Achievements

In 1797, snooze Bonaparte became first consul after everyplacethrowing the Directory and establishing the Consultate. He had some achievements for France under procreational, financial, administrative, profound and religious refines. However, these achievements are often exaggerated. sleep was and so the heritor of the innovation as he completed lots of the proceeding that the innovation had started, such as the creation of a Civil edict and the reforming of the education system. Despite this, he to a fault destroyed much of the diversitys work. He ignored and betrayed some of the noveltys beliefs and much of his achievements were incomplete.naps achievements in Europe were of importly for his hold purposes he wanted to enhance his prestige and wee France a great nation. He appears to expect had little interest in helping the European throng. nap, although his main achievements centered on areas such as establishment, had other remarkable, although minor, achiev ements in France. He alter the appearance of cut cities such as Paris by building bridges and canals and by planting trees at the sides of roads to nourish them from the sun. This aided the beauty of Paris as it is today. Napoleon as well as amend the tax system, which meant that no one was tax exempt.One particular achievement, which whitethorn rank on the same level of importance as the Napoleonic reckon, but appears to be often overlooked in textbooks, is Napoleons founding of a national education system from primary to university. The digest of his attention was due southary schools, of which he opened to a greater extent. Higher education withal became more(prenominal) than available in major cities. Napoleon spent more money on education than anything else during his time in power. However, Napoleon was approximately inefficient in this achievement. The educational system discriminated against feminines. Napoleon saw education as cosmos not suitable for girls.Fem ale students were to learn the very(prenominal) basics of education how to read and write, and in like manner how to do traditional female work such as nursing and embroidering. Pupils had little choice over their career most were forced into a military career. What is considered to be Napoleons most significant achievement for France was his establishment of the Napoleonic work out. This was the codifying of all Frances urbane, commercial and criminal law. This marked a swerve to centralize and organize power on a national level. This code was successful as it formed the basis of many European legal systems.This code was requested in many grievances, which were sent to Louis XVI and was demanded by the revolutionaries. Thus Napoleon appeared to be truly the heir of the revolution as he had so claimed. The code took into account issues that the revolution had stood for, such as equality before the law and freedom of religion. This Civil code also gave equal inheritance to all offspring should a parent die. wedlock became a civil rather than a religious act. Napoleon halt a proposal for girls to marry at thirteen and for boys to marry at fifteen. Instead, he increased the marital age to eighteen for girls and twenty for boys.The civil code also permitted divorce. On the other hand, according to John Merriman, this was also an incomplete achievement and did not satisfy everyone. Napoleon went against one of the revolution beliefs equality for women. A womans wage went to her husband and she could also not buy any property without her husbands or male relatives permission . Women had to be committed to obedience and fidelity to their husbands. Napoleon further betrayed the opinions of most french people by declaring women were nothing more than machines for producing children.He also betrayed the revolution by abolishing titles that the revolutionaries had abolished such as Duke or Prince. Although these titles were not heredity as before, it contrast ed the aim of equality in that people were distillery different in terms of social class. Prior to the french Revolution, France was bankrupt. Napoleon undertook vast financial reforms upon coming to power. The French currency was modify and was the most stable in Europe until after World war 1. 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 financial reform was Napoleons establishment of the National Bank of France. This improve Frances ability to finance wars without the worry of inflation, which had been a problem for most French governments after 1789. Nevertheless, there was still a financial crisis in 1810. army spending accounted for around forty to sixty percent of national expenditure, lead story to an increase in taxation A further achievement by Napoleon was his reforming of the administrative system in France.The Consulate inherited the Coun cil of State from the revolution. He improved its handling of administration and scantilyice issues in France. He used it to help weaken legislative assemblies and ministries. This reform ensured that Ministers were prevented from acquiring their own authority. Local government was practically abolished and prefects were appointed to carry out administration in each French region. Government chose prefects, Mayors and Ministers. The administrative system was Napoleons most permanent legacy in France and survived until very recently.The revolution had started moves towards administrative reform, by abolishing institutions such as the ancient parlements. Napoleons role was to complete these reforms. Napoleon also helped to put an end to the contradict with the church service, which had existed since the period of the Enlightenment. This is viewed as one of the few achievements which was entirely Napoleons for example, work on the Civil code and the reforming of education had been started by the revolution. In 1801, he signed a concordat with the Catholic Church. Catholicism was accepted as the preferred religion in France, but others were also tolerated.Napoleon was believed to have had a profound insight into the importance of religion for the jackpot of the people. Through this move, it can be argued again that Napoleon was and then the heir of the revolution as he did not change rotatory reforms such as holding and selling church property and members of the clergy decorous paid servants of the state. Priests and Bishops had still to be elected and the clergy also had to take oaths of allegiance to the French government. Despite this, there was still some conflict with the church in that it was controlled and supervised by the French government, displeasing the Pope.The government was granted the power of the police in all matters concerning religion. Under Napoleon, the French economical system also improved. France began to export goods, which ha d been imported before the French revolution. Frances industries improved with her exports of silk and cotton increasing (2). Under Napoleon, France produced more corn, meat, butter and cheese. However, D. G. Wright claims that French economic progress was in fact unspectacular due to Frances drop of industrial and commercial innovation compared to Britain. Communications was another improvement brought by Napoleon.Three canals three ports and three roads were built. The roads helped carriages to travel through the Alps, which had previously taken biger due to heavy snow. These roads do communications between France, Italy and Switzerland easier. Napoleon also had many achievements for Europe as well as for France. Napoleon replaced the old order with a contemporary, advanced(a) regime. In 1810, Frances boundaries were extended beyond her modern boundaries. France was almost unendingly at war between 1792 and 1814. These Napoleonic wars were supposed to free oppress individua ls throughout Europe.This was true of the wars with Austria and Prussia. Frances boundaries extended when Napoleon went to war against Austria in Italy in 1801, and succeeded in obtaining the north of Italy back in control. Napoleons main achievement in Europe was aiding the unification of the German and Italian states. Defeating Austria in 1805 at Austerlitz, and Prussia in 1806 left him free to rearrange the German territory, which these nations lost as a result. Napoleon reorganized the three coke German states into ixl states and also developed the Confederation of the Rhine, which consisted of sixteen states. aft(prenominal) Napoleons defeat at Waterloo in 1815, the forty states remained whence Napoleon partly achieved the unification of Germany by breaking down gallant boundaries. Napoleon also restored the Cis-Alpine Republic in 1797 and became its president. In 1805, he called it the state of Italy. Despite this, H Butterfield argues that Napoleon did not really intend to coalesce the German and Italian states. He believes that these states were open to control by a foreign nation and that Napoleon seized this opportunity in his bid to make France greater. When Napoleon was defeated, there was a turning back towards the old order. galore(postnominal) of the achievements and changes that Napoleon gave France and Europe disappeared. The Grand Coalition, consisting of Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia, restored the old French monarchy, which had been abolished by the French revolution. Napoleon betrayed France when he escaped from his prison on the Isle of Elba. In 1814, the Coalition had treated France lightly she was allowed to keep her frontiers of 1792 (including the land she won in conquest) and was not required to remuneration for the cost of war. There had been constant state of war for twenty five years and the French people appeared to be uneasy for peace.However, all peace plans ere ruined when Napoleon returned from Elba and starte d the battle of Waterloo. In the second treaty of Paris (1815), France was treated much more harshly. Her frontiers were restricted to that of 1790 and she had to pay seven hundred million francs the cost of war. The German Confederation of thirty-nine states remained, but Germany was still divided, ruled by monarchs and still under Austrian presidency. In addition, despite Napoleons attempts to give Italy unification, Italy was recognized as no more than a geographical expression.In conclusion, it is bear that Napoleon did have many achievements, especially with legal and administrative reforms, which remained long after his defeat. Napoleon established laws, which covered all of France, not just different regions, and also gave all French children the opportunity for education. Napoleon improved the appearance of France and brought France back form bankruptcy. Nevertheless, he does not appear to have been seriously concerned with the beliefs of the revolution he had hoped that by getting involved, he would gain promotion.Therefore, he was more concerned with himself than doing anything for France, Europe and their people. This can be proven in this statement given after his victory over Austria in Italy I realized that I was a superior being and conceived the Ambition of performing great things. Napoleons achievements in Germany and Italy were not for the benefit of these nations, as he himself admitted If I conquered other kingdoms, I did so in order that France would be the beneficiary Napoleon went against the French revolutions belief in freedom of speech.He reduced and hold newspapers in France and the newspapers that remained were threatened or bribed in to supporting him. It has been claimed that his genius owes more to propaganda than to deeds. Napoleon did wish to continue revolutionary reforms. Although it can be argued that he did not continue all of its aims, this was because many of the revolutions goals and believes were impractical we mus t see what was real and politically possible in its principles, instead of grasping at their speculative and hypothetical side. by and by 1815,France lost all of the territory she had acquired in the Napoleonic wars. The monarchy was restored in France and Germany and Italy were still not united. Therefore, Many of Napoleons achievements did not last. Napoleon was the heir of the revolution but his achievements are exaggerated because the revolution had already through much of his work for him he found the work already three-quarters make for him.