HISTORY
Subject
:
History
(For under graduate student)
Paper No.
:
Paper-VI
History of Modern Europe
Unit No. & Title
:
Unit-1
Europe between 1780 & 1871
Lecture No. & Title
:
Lecture-7
Napoleon as ruler:
Internal reorganization
FAQs
1.
Where did the coronation of Napoleon take
place?
The coronation took place on 2nd December 1804 (11
Frimaire) at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Pope Pius
VII was supposed to crown him, but suddenly
Napoleon took the crown and laid it on his own head.
An unmanned balloon with three thousand lights in
an imperial crown pattern was launched from Notre
Dame to mark the occasion.
2.
How did the Russsian campaign hasten the
downfall of Napoleon?
The Russsian Czar had initially agreed to abide by
the Continental system enforced by Napoleon, but
due to severe scarcity of commodities and rising
prices he decided to open his ports to British goods.
This infuriated Napoleon to the extent that he
decided to march into Russia with his Grande Armee
in 1812. Severe winter, coupled with the tactics
employed by the Russians in evading direct combat,
along with guerilla type of strikes resulted in huge
losses to the French army, with soldiers dying of
hunger and cold, so much so that Napoleon was
forced to turn back. This destroyed the ideas about
the
invincibility
of
his
army
and
encouraged
European powers to come together to defeat him.
3.
What happened at Waterloo?
On 18th June 1815 Napoleon was defeated by the
combined armies of European allies under the Duke
of Wellington, at Waterloo near Belgium. Napoleon
was forced to surrender and was exiled to the island
of St.Helena.
4.
What were the main factors that facilitated the
success of Napoleon ?
It was his insatiable ambition that enabled Napoleon
to rise from a soldier to the position of First Consul.
The French were mesmerized by the successes he
achieved in extending the frontiers of France to
include almost the whole of Europe. Napoleon was
able to restore law and order in France and establish
a strong government. He was shrewd enough to get
his main elevations to power affirmed by plebiscites.
The French were exhausted by years of misgovernment
and
lawlessness,
and
therefore
supported whatever he did.
5.
What were the financial measures taken by
Napoleon to ensure fiscal stability?
Napoleon tried to undo all the irregularities in fiscal
policies. He regularized tax collection within a matter
of years. He forced the tax collectors to deposit an
advance. Metal currency was back in circulation. The
economy showed signs of stability and growth.
Napoleon even introduced a new Franc of 5gms
known as Germinal Franc which remained a stable
currency till 1914. In 1800 he established the
national Bank of France
6.
What is the significance of the Code Napoleon?
The longest lasting effect of Napoleon’s rule over
France was his overseeing the implementation of a
series of national laws collectively known as the
Code Napoleon. It was a compromise between the
customary laws prevalent in northern France, and
the essentially Roman laws in use in southern and
eastern France. It is still in use in France. The Code
Napoleon preserved social equality in the sense that
career was to be open to talent. It recognized civil
marriage, divorce of grounds of incompatibility,
equal division of property among the children,
property inheritance of illegitimate children in certain
cases.
7.
What was the Legion of Honour?
The Legion of Honour or Legion d’Honneur instituted
in 1802 intended to reward those who performed
exemplary service for the nation. It facilitated the
creation of a band of awardees who remained loyal
to Napoleon.
8.
What sort of educational reforms did Napoleon
introduce?
As the consul, Napoleon initiated changes in the
education system. The work was completed after he
had become the emperor. The reforms here reflected
his social philosophy. There was an accent on
professional
education.
Ecoles
communales
or
primary schools were run by the municipalities. Even
church schools were allowed to open after the
Concordat of 1801. The secondary schools created
by the Convention were given recognition. Napoleon
created the lycee, where specialized instruction was
given to selected pupils. They later became the elite
educational institution of France.
9.
What
were
the
provisions
of
the
Concordat(1801)?
The Concordat recognized Roman Catholicism as the
‘religion
of
the
majority
of
Frenchmen’
and
guaranteed freedom of worship subject only to the
maintenance of public order. The schism between
the constitutional and the non-juring clergy was to
end with the resignation of all existing bishops and
the appointment of new ones. The First Consul was
to nominate the bishops and the Pope was to
institute them. The salaries of the bishops and the
other clergy were to be paid by the government. This
implied that the sale of the church lands was
irrevocable. In the long run, Napoleon could get
bishops of his choice appointed.
10. Which ideal of the Revolution did Napoleon
ignore altogether?
Napoleon trampled upon liberty. He established a
despotism
under
the
constitutional
fiction
of
plebiscite. His centralization, while it restored order,
destroyed all elected local bodies. Even powers of
legislation were handed to a commission whose
proposals the legislature merely voted. His principle
of selection completely negated the principle of
election. Rigid censorship of the press gagged all
liberty of opinion.