Napoleon’s policies as First Consul Essay

In all that he did, his main aim was to ensure himself in violence. How faraway do you agree with this judgement on snoozes policies as First Consul?After the Coup of Brumaire in 1799, short sleep emerged as the new leader of France and devised a system of political sympathies that gave him effective keep over all aspects of life in France. He controlled religion, learning, law-making, policing, legal reforms and the stinting situation by putting in place a serial of policies, designed both to comply with nearly rulers of the Revolution whilst also good-looking short sleep control and earnest in power. This essay looks to investigate how far each of these policies suggest that piles main aim was ever more than to secure himself in power. cat sleeps form _or_ system of government of police force and propaganda is the most unadornedly inhibitory of all the policies. Many aspects of his heavy policing conform with dictatorial administrations, as does his policy o f censorship and ( lots false or manipulated) propaganda. France became effectively a law of nature State, with cat sleep at the core. The Minister of Police, Joseph Fouch, who controlled National Security, wee-weeed a network of informers who monitored state- shoped opinion and reported on any suspicious political activity. They also monitored everyday life in France the knowledge system prisons food supplies draught and state-supported works. All findings were written in a daily report, submitted at once to Napoleon. These jobs were carried out by prefects (effectively spies) who were appointed directly by Napoleon.By organising much(prenominal) a well-organised surveillance system, the authorities encountered little op ready from the Jacobins, Royalists or Liberals. delinquent to the rigorous nature of the police, no uprising or rebellion was possible, thereby ensuring Napoleon was safe in power. Due to the dictatorial style of this policy, it is obvious Napoleon was severe to go over security in power and establish himself as leader without immediate op part or objection from minority groups and the general world by repressing anyone refuted to the regime. Under the Police State, arbitrary imprisonments and executions were frequent. As a result people were AFRAID to oppose the regime.Napoleon also recognised the importance of censorship in securing his position in power as this quote showsIf the press is non controlled, I shall non remain three days in powerIn January 1800, Napoleon reduced the number of newspaper in Paris from 73 to 13 and forbade the production of any new ones. On top of this, newspapers were interdict to discuss controversial subjects and were kept short of reli equal news. Editors were forced to blaspheme on military bulletins or articles published in the Official governing Journal. An example of a manipulated story inwardly the press is the report of the difference of opinion of M arngo. Although this battle was unsuccessful, it was presented as a triumph and Napoleon told people it was a well-devised plan. Prefects also kept a check on papers to ensure that they only published what Napoleon wanted. Not only were the bad aspects of the regime censored, unless also the good aspects were highlighted (or close to metres invented). This was intended to rouse honorable and encourage support for the regime. Napoleons increase popularity through propaganda meant increased security in power.Napoleon did not only control the long suit of text. Many theatres were forced to close, to avoid defamatory shows about the regime from beingness performed, and those that remained open were only allowed to show sanctioned plays. Napoleon also active fashionable painters to depict him as a romantic hero ( much(prenominal) as the famous picture of Napoleon crossing the Alps, by Jacques Louis David). In umpteen of his portraits he is shown as having a positive impact on France, promote the public to bel ieve this was true.Napoleon aimed to create loyal followers, or at least people who endureed and tolerated the regime. His harsh measures of policing prove a hopelessness to remain in power and secure a popular public opinion. If the public were not convinced to support Napoleon through the encompassing propaganda, then any opposed were repressed by force.In Napoleons government policies and his self-induced role of First Consul under the Constitution of the year VIII, it is clear he wantd supreme control and power in France. The limited set of the system of election on government figures meant virtually all aspects of the law-makers were controlled or heavily influenced by Napoleon himself. Under the Constitution of the Year X, the system of election was abolished completely. This ensured Napoleon could not be removed from power. By organising the government in this way, he was obviously intentionally ensuring security in power. as yet, not all of Napoleons government policie s can be directly related to this aim. Although the overall nature of the legislature was very kindred to the Ancin Regime (i.e. Napoleon had effective control of the entire government), rough aspects were in keeping with extremist judgments that had no (obvious) effect on Napoleons security in power. For example, although Napoleon devised and instigated all new laws, they were in keeping with revolutionary ideas. Napoleon ensured a mixture of old and new laws under the civilised Code. This Napoleonic concept, somewhat in contrast with his policy of a police state, ensured equality in courts and also fairer trials and hearings. This cannot directly be interpreted as an intentionally devised plan to ensure Napoleons security in power. However, it is possible that by creating a legal system conforming to some revolutionary ideals, Napoleon hoped to gain the publics loyalty and support, thereby increasing his popularity, thus securing himself in power.Napoleon also developed a ne w sacred policy. The Concordat signed by pontiff Pius VII and Napoleon in 1801, saw the restoration of the Catholic church service in France and the revolutionary idea of the state payment of the church building service. Napoleon was raised a Catholic and was cracking to encourage religion within France, as this quote showsNo edict can pull through without equality of fortunes and equalityof fortunes can not exist without religion.However, the Concordat was manipulated to Napoleons obvious advantage as well. In signing the Concordat, the Pope agreed to endorse the Revolution and regime, state control of the churches and church appointments and accept the loss of church lands during the Revolution. Also, in 1802, Napoleon attached the Organic Articles, without overblown agreement, to the Concordat. These guaranteed the revolutionary principle of religious toleration and made the Protestant and Jewish churches similarly subject to state authority.It can be argued that one of N apoleons aims in forming the Concordat was to ensure a lack of balk from the church, meaning his position in France could not be affected by the Pope or any new(prenominal) religious gear up. However, whether or not this was his main motive in signing the Concordat is less certain. Although the church was a powerful peter in controlling and influencing the public and was often used as a vehicle of propaganda, Napoleons desire to influence and manipulate the public cannot justify other aspects of the Concordat such as the state responsibility for the payment of the clergy.On reflection, it appears that whilst in some aspects of his religious policy Napoleon may have been genuinely trying to improve life in France, it is clear that in other areas of the policy, such as his healing of rifts between the Church and the notables after the seizing of church lands in 1789, were designed to appease certain groups of people, such as the Bourgeoisie, accordingly securing himself in power . He also aimed to disassociate the Catholic Church with the principle of counter-revolution and the restoration of the Bourbon Monarchy therefore avoiding a potential Jacobin uprising, which could be detrimental to his position in power. His further use of the church as a propaganda tool also justifies this theory, as in this way, the public were encouraged to see Napoleon as a positive figure. His desire to win the publics support of the regime and therefore of him, was rooted in his wish to remain in power, as is displayed in this policy.Napoleon also established a new frugal policy designed to tap the wealth of the country more effectively than during the Ancin Regime or the Revolution. His principle of taxation went against revolutionary ideas, with industrial and commercial profits being taxed only lightly. This may be seen as a further example of Napoleon attempting to appease and win support of the Bourgeoisie, thereby ensuring popularity and securing his position in power. Other aspects of this policy included the doorway of new discount banks designed to help the state pay strike its national debt and pay its obligations to domestic creditors. This policy increased the efficiency of tax and led to the balancing of the budget by 1802. Citizens would have been pleased with Frances new economic perceptual constancy, potentially leading to increased support for Napoleon and the regime. However, whether Napoleon put in place this policy for this reason of for the stabilisation and well-being pf Frances economy cannot be proven.Napoleons educational policy is perhaps his most revolutionary policy due to his introduction of standby schools into France. He formed 39 lyces in 1802, which were run by the state.Public education should be the first object of government. Everything depends upon it, the past, the present and the future. higher up all we must secure unity we must be able to cast a whole generation in the same mould.However, contempt Napoleon saying that education should be based on ability, not birth, very few common people attended supplementary school. They were taught up to the age of twelve by small, church-run schools. It was believed by Napoleon, that they needed no more than a simple moral education. No form of education was available to girls at any age or from any background. It was for the most part the sons of notables who attended secondary school. In total there were 6,400 state scholarships available. star third of these (approximately 2,400) were chosen by the government from among the sons of soldiers of officials.The remaining 4,000 were supposedly chosen from the best pupils at leading primary schools. However, well-off families were favoured and only a very small percentage of common people attended secondary school. Many bourgeois parents preferred to send their children to privately run Church schools, favouring the increased freedom of thought and wider curriculum. However, Napoleon did not ap prove and try to close them by placing high taxes on them.The education itself was ultitarian and based more or less a Spartan regime with a strong military ethos. At first only Latin and Mathematics were taught but as time went on, other subjects (deemed acceptable by the government) were introduced such as French, History, Science and Geography. rationalism was discouraged and teaching methods followed a policy of indoctrination. Napoleon wanted education to encourage obedience to the regime and create loyal subjects from an early age. on that point is little in this policy that suggests Napoleon wishing to ab initio secure himself in power. However, as this new education system was largely in force(p) to France, citizens may, unwittingly, increase their support of Napoleon and the regime. Whether, this was deliberately intended by Napoleon cannot be proven.On balance, I believe that all of Napoleons devised policies had a basis in ensuring his security in power, some more so than others. His police and propaganda policy is obviously based on initially securing himself in power without hindrances from rebellions or uprisings. Also, his religious policy was designed not only to appease the Pope and guarantee a lack of interference, but also to avoid a potential Jacobin uprising through an standstill between the Catholic Church and the Bourbon Monarchy. Others, such as his educational policy, are subtler, encouraging support for the regime through improved life within France. In all areas, he is seen as each directly influencing the public, either by force or by propaganda, or indirectly influencing the public by creating better conditions in France, therefore encouraging support of the regime.I believe that it was Napoleons main aim to secure himself in power. After all, if he fell out of favour quickly, all of his other aims, such as creating a better France, would fall with him. It was implicit that he secured himself in power as soon as possible, i n order that he might put all his other aims into action. Ultimately, most of his actions aimed either to limit or prevent the impact any opposes to the regime may have on Napoleons security in power or to create a better France thereby increasing popularity of the regime. However that is not to say that other policies did not centre around a different aim, such as the economic policy, which aimed to create financial stability in France primarily, and possibly may have contributed to increased support and popularity of Napoleon and his regime.