Napoleon The Genius Of France

Napoleon the Genius of France

By: Brian Tan Drekolias CHY4U1 Tuesday, January-15-13 What defines a genius? Is genius a measure of intellectual prowess or is it something that is determined by the accomplishments of an individual?
He made efforts to reform France to better suit the people. In 1801, Napoleon and Pope Pius VII came to an agreement and Catholicism would be recognized as the majority religion in France. In return, the Church would not ask for the land that was taken from them during the Revolution (Wikipedia). Through doing this, Napoleon gained the trust of the Catholic Church members. Another great non-military achievement for Napoleon was his domestic policies. With his domestic policies in mind, Napoleon centralized the government and established the Consulate. Lead by just three men, Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, Charles-François Lebrun and of course Napoleon, France soon saw many positive changes in society. Firstly, Napoleon created the Bank of France which stabilized the economy that had been in disarray due to the failures of previous leaders such as Louis XIV and Louis XVI (Sparknotes, Wikipedia). Secondly, Napoleon simplified French law. Prior to the French Revolution, France many sets of laws that were confusing and contradictory to the people (Wikipedia) Napoleon decided to simplify these laws by creating what is known as The Napoleonic Code. The Code gave equality to all citizens before the law and gave freedom to the people. Some of these freedoms include the freedom to choose their own profession and to practice which ever religion that they pleased. Thirdly, Napoleon’s own views on equality
Napoleon made many changes, which were mostly positive for the people. Through his work as First Consul and Emperor, Napoleon gave France a new look. Following the disaster of King Louis XVI and the Revolution, the spirits of the French were low. But Napoleon gave the people a sense of confidence and pride once more with his national reforms. On top of the revamped pride in the people, Napoleon wished to further improve the morale of his people. He created a way to reward his people with what he called “The Legion of Honour”. This award was (and still is) given to citizens for their services and loyalty. With this prestigious award within reach, people were fueled with determination to receive it; they worked harder to improve the economy and raise their nation above others. This shows Napoleon’s clever way to coerce his people to work harder, not with harsh dictatorship but with rewards and a sense of accomplishment. With the people in mind, Napoleon composed something that the French could be proud of for years to come. He created many monuments across the nation with the most notable monument being the Arc de Triomphe which is still a great attraction in Paris