The impact of Napoleon's rule on France 1799 to 1815
Education law for Lycees on 1 May 1802
45 Militarised lycees set up by education law for secondary education that was restricted to the sons of notables and free of charge for sons of army officers. • Lycees to provide a ready supply of civilian officials, administrators and disciplined army officers with intention to recruit sons of property-owning class. - 2400 of 6400 places available to sons of soldiers and civil servants. • No provisions made for education of girls. • No scientific education e.g. Polytechnique founded during French Revolution for promotion of scientific research was converted to military academy in 1805. • Education law for an ecole populaire in May 1802 with state primary schools in each commune run by local municipality. - Simple 'moral' education and basic literacy/numeracy in schools run by church or the local community.
Civil Code on 21 March 1804
Civil Code 'Code Napoleon' on 21 March 1804 and founded on the work of successive Revolutionary governments to organise a nationwide legal system to combine the customary laws of the north and the Roman law of the south. • The Civil Code: Abolition of feudalism; fixed legal title to purchasers of confiscated church, crown and emigre property (biens nationaux); individual male rights to ownership of property with partage (eldest son); man had total authority over his wife and children with right to send adulterous wife or defiant child to prison and for (expensive) divorce; and slavery re-introduced in the French colonies in accordance with the laws current in 1789. • Customary laws of North of early 1790s based on liberal customary laws with equality of persons, civil marriage, divorce and equal division of property between heirs. • Roman laws of south from 1795 with male authority and father's right.
Continental Blockade 1806
Continental Blockade system banned trade with Britain and implemented under Berlin Decree on 21 November 1806 and the Milan Decree of Dec 1807. - Forbade all French states and allies from buying British goods and Britain and overseas possessions to be in a state of blockade. • British response to not buy goods from France. allies or neutral countries that obeyed French blockade. - Royal Navy to blockade all ports of France. • 1810 Tsar Alexander I opted out of system with severe damage to trade and led to Russian campaign 1812. • 1810 Some licensed trade with Britain to offset decline in customs receipts.
Bank of France on 6 January 1800
Creation of the Bank of France on 6 January 1800 as private bank with its own shareholders and given range of public functions e.g. right to issue notes. - Risky business adventure in 1805 threatened stability of Bank of France.
Censorship board set up in January 1810
Decree of January 1810 set up a new censorship board to approve or reject books by Ministry of the Interior. - Official reports on plays, lectures and posters.
Tax
Division of roles between ministry of finances for the collection of taxes and revenue and the treasury that dealt with government expenditure. - Reorganisation of direct and indirect tax (removal of control of local authorities), setup of a central organisation and detailed tax register i.e. land. • Land tax remained constant at 250 million francs (29% of revenue) a year until 1813. • Indirect taxes reintroduced on certain goods and Excise office in 1804. - E.g. tobacco, alcohol, gold and silver and playing cards, transport and salt tax 1806. - Revenue from indirect tax increased by over 400% between 1806 and 1812 and 25% of revenue by 1813.
Execution of Duc d'Enghien on 21 March 1804
Execution of Duc d'Enghien on 20 March 1804 after being kidnapped on neutral territory and found guilty of conspiracy on inadequate evidence for guilty. - Judicial murder on grounds that Napoleon Bonaparte was entitled by Corsican laws of vendetta to kill an enemy who threatened his personal safety. - Member of Bourbon royal family alleged to be in plot to overthrow Napoleon Bonaparte.
Gendarmes 1790
Gendarmes a parliamentary police force set up in 1790 that were organised like army with uniforms and structure as body that assisted police in normal duties to maintain law and order and stop crime. - 18k in France in 1810 and Joseph Fouche reported to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Imperial Decrees in March 1808
Imperial Decrees in March 1808 with founding of 'imperial nobility' which included counts (title for ministers, senators, archbishops, high ranking state officials and generals), barons (title for bishops, mayors and other officials and generals) and knights. - 59% of titles to military men and most of rest to civil servants or to reward loyal service among notables.
Imperial University on 17 March 1808
Imperial University a form of Ministry of Education developed from the 'Order of Teachers' and invested with responsibility for institution of supervision, teaching and education in the Grand Empire. • Education Institution: Teacher training, appointments and promotions; setting up of new schools; standardised curriculum for state and private schools. - Fixed salaries and pensions and bonus for pupils in higher education. • Louis de Fontanes the first Grand Master of Imperial university and promoted number clergy as teachers. - By 1812 one third of in lycees and colleges were priests or ex-priests.
Reform of local government in France on 17 Feb 1800
Law passed on 17 February 1800 to reform local government in France with prefects in each department and sub-prefects of the arrondissements (sub-divisions of departments) to manage local government throughout France. • Prefects acted as agents for central government and appointed by Napoleon Bonaparte (members of advisory council and mayor). - Highly centralised bureaucracy for collection of taxes, enforcement of conscription, dissemination of propaganda and obtaining of information through well-trained/loyal administrators. • Prefects a spy network as Police of Paris and independent of Minister of Police (Joseph Fouche). • Law made by Jean Antoine Chaptal as Minister of Interior from 1800 to 1804.
Legion of Honour 18 May 1802
Legion of Honour established on 18 May 1802 as elite organisation created by Napoleon Bonaparte to reward men of regime with rewards and titles. • Military and civil award with most for military service with only 1500 of 32k to civilians in years to 1814. • Napoleon Bonaparte the grand master of order and council of seven 'grand officers' administered the 15 'cohorts' in France. • Napoleonic nobility in 1801 with title of 'chevalier de l'Empire' which became hereditary after three generations of recipients.
Livret introduced on I December 1803
Livret a workers passbook and introduced on 1 December 1803 as method to control the movement of workers and was needed to get a job or to travel to different parts of France. • Form of identity of holder with personal information and handed to employers of workers between jobs. - Movement of labour.
Malet Conspiracy 22-23 October 1812
Malet conspiracy on 22 to 22 October 1812 as Claude François de Malet failed in plot to persuade key officials of the death of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte for the formation of a new provisional government.
Gaudin made Minister of Finance of France on November 1799
Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin made Minister of Finance in 1799 to 1814. • Tax: Division of roles between ministry of finances for the collection of taxes and revenue and the treasury that dealt with government expenditure. - Reorganisation of direct and indirect tax (removal of control of local authorities), setup of a central organisation and detailed tax register i.e. land. • Land tax remained constant at 250 million francs (29% of revenue) a year until 1813. • Indirect taxes reintroduced on certain goods and Excise office in 1804. - E.g. tobacco, alcohol, gold and silver and playing cards, transport and salt tax 1806. - Revenue from indirect tax increased by over 400% between 1806 and 1812 and 25% of revenue by 1813.
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French on 2 Dec 1804
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French on 2 Dec 1804 in ceremony at cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with Pope and blessing of the Catholic Church. • Napoleon Bonaparte granted titles to members of his own family e.g. brothers Joseph and Louis (1804) and Jerome (1806); sister Elisa; adopted son Eugene de Beauharnais; and and General Joachim Murat.
Napoleon Bonaparte declared Emperor of France on 18 May 1804
Napoleon Bonaparte declared Emperor of France of France of 18 May 1804. - 'Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul' declared Emperor of the french and imperial dignity declared hereditary by making Consulship hereditary in the Bonaparte family. • Third plebiscite for Constitution of Year XII on Nov 1804 with 3.6m 'yes' against 2669 'no'. - 40% of 'no' votes in previous plebiscite from army and did not poll by adding 500k 'yes' votes.
Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Josephine Beauharnais on 12 Jan 1810
Napoleon Bonaparte divorced Josephine Beauharnais, who was passed child-bearing age at 46, for re-marriage for a legitimate son and heir on the grounds of alleged irregularities in conduct of the religious marriage. • 2 April 1810 Napoleon Bonaparte marriage to Marie Louise of Austria. - Age 40 and son in 1811. - Daughter of Austrian Emperor and family.
Amnesty granted for all Emigres on 27 April 1802
Napoleon Bonaparte issues a decree to grant amnesty to all emigres and that all Emigres outside of France were to return to France by 23 September 1802 and make declaration and oath of fidelity to government. - Swear oath not entertain any enemies of state and to renounce places, titles, decorations or pension from foreign powers. • Emigres under special inspection of government for 10 years and not entitled to interfere with property.
The Constitution of Year VIII on 24 December 1799
Napoleon Bonaparte presented the Constitution of Year VIII to the French people as founded on 'true principles of representative government, on the sacred rights of property, equality and liberty'. - Napoleon Bonaparte officially nominated as First Consul by Abbes Sieyes. • Electoral system: Idea of 'universal suffrage': 6 million frenchmen named as voters in 1799 that voted for 10% for communal list for local officials; 600k voted for 10% for departmental list; and 6000 voted to form national list of 'notables' from which the Senate chose members for two legislative bodies. • Senate: Nominated all major central and local government officials and initiated all legislation. • Council of State • Tribunate: Discuss legislation but not vote on it. • Legislature: Voted on legislation by secret ballot.
The 'Organic Articles' and publication of the Concordat on April 1802
Napoleon Bonaparte published the 'Organic Articles' without any reference to Pope and stated need for government approval before any Papal legate (envoy) entered France or for publication of any Papal document. - All teachers in seminaries which trained priests to be Frenchmen and government regulated institutes. • Religious toleration to nearly 700k Protestants and 40k Jews in France - Protestant ministers oath of loyalty and paid by the state. - Napoleon Bonaparte decreed freedom of conscience for all in 1804 and in 1807 convened a meeting with 45 rabbis. - Publication after Peace of Amiens on 25 March 1802.
New Cadastre 1807
New land register drawn up by official in 1807 to measure value of land and recalculate taxation system. - Longer than expected and only 1/5th of the country inspected by 1815.
Newspapers 1800
Parisian newspaper reduced in January 1800 from 73 to 13 and to 9 by the end of year. - Only 4 by 1801. • All newspapers subject to police supervision. • All newspapers censored from 1809 in France. - No controversial subjects and only official news by Napoleon ministers and military bulletins written by Napoleon Bonaparte to boost morale on war front and maintain good reputation in France with good news back to France and failures were kept quiet. e.g Russian campaign in 1812. • Provincial papers reduced to 1 per department in 1810. • The government published the paper Le Moniteur. • Decree for publishing houses 1808 from 200 to 60. - Book publishers to have license, Police would search shops and take books and fine 2000-3000 francs.
Plebiscite for the new Constitution on the 7 February 1800
Plebiscite for the new Constitution on 7 February 1800 with electors given a month to vote in communes for or against constitution. • Official count with 3 million in favour and 1,562 against. - Public approval but voting at different places/times and not a secret ballot. • 1801 to 1802 with all adult males to elect life members to departmental 'colleges' from a limited choice of candidates from a list of 600 richest men in department. - Every five years made list of candidates for vacancies on legislative body. - Groups available for Napoleon Bonaparte to court with offers of government posts. • Voting figures adjusted by Lucien Bonaparte as Minister of the Interior for a large majority by doubling 'yes' votes rounding up and adding another 500k for alleged unanimously favourable votes. - Real 'yes' vote about 1.5 million and not 3,011,007.
Aftermath of 16 July 1801 Concordat with Pope
Refractory priests came out of hiding, churches reopened and Jan 1806 France moved back to Christian calendar. • Issue of new 'official' Catholic Church catechism in 1806 for schools. • St Napoleon's Day on 16 August and removed the existing occupant of date from lost of Saints. - No consultation with Pope with interference in Church and angered Pope Pius VII. • 1808 French troops occupied Rome, 1809 imprisoned Pope and annexed papal states to new Kingdom of italy. • Reconciliation with the Church needed to improve social order using cooperation of priests to help policies of amalgame and ralliement to resolve divisions of the French Revolution by using religion as a 'social bond'. - Practical to seek rapprochement with Pope to reunite Church with state and draw Catholics away from Bourbons.
Napoleon Bonaparte made First Consul for Life on 2 August 1802
Senate offered Napoleon Bonaparte position of Consul for Life and the right to nominate his successor. - Napoleon Bonaparte escaped assassination in Dec 1800 with Consulship for life because of fragile nature of the regime. • Constitution of Year X on 4 August 1802 with 3.6 million in favour of making Napoleon Bonaparte Life Consul and 8272 against.
Concordat with the Pope on 16 July 1801
The Concordat on 16 July 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII that recognised the Pope as the 'head of the Catholic Church', catholicism as the 'religion of the majority' and the Pope recognised new regime in France. - Catholic worship freely available, Bishops and clergy continued to be nominated by First Consul and paid as civil servants and Pope to not reclaim Church Lands (biens nationaux). • Discussion with papacy lasted months with 21 drafts before signed on 16 July 1801. • Terms: End separation of Church and State; Catholic Church to recognise the Revolution and no attempt to recover church lands lost since 1789; Catholic worship to be 'freely exercised in France with public worship to conform with police regulations for public peace; toleration of other religions; and for a state-controlled church with clergy becoming paid civil servants bound to an oath.
Wool industry 1790 to 1812
Wool industry increased yield by 400% and exported silks rose on value from 26 million francs to 64 million francs between 1790 - 1812.
