Napoleon Bonaparte was one
of the greatest generals and most important leaders of all time. He had a great
impact on the social, economic, and political systems of not only France, but
all of Europe. Socially, Napoleon reduced class division and increased
equality. Many upper class citizens were not happy about this because it
reduced their privileges. One member of the upper class, Madame de Stael, was
quoted as saying, “What particularly characterizes Bonaparte’s government is
his profound contempt for all the intellectual riches of human nature: virtue,
dignity, religion enthusiasm.” She believes that Napoleon as taken away all of
these things by taking away upper class privileges and not focusing on
developing these riches, but instead improving the conditions of the working
class. Napoleon started great reform and did many things to improve the lives
of the many, but all the rich cared about was the loss of privileges of the
few.
Napoleon also reformed the
economic systems of France and the rest of Europe. Napoleon abolished serfdom
and gave people the right to own property and freely conduct business. As
Marshal Michel Ney said, “The times are gone when the people were governed by
suppressing their rights. Liberty triumphs in the end.” Napoleon ended the system
of the rich controlling the poor and all of their actions. He also regulated
prices and improved transportation infrastructure. All of these actions
improved the economies of Europe and the lives of the people in them.
The political systems of Europe also experienced
significant changes under the rule of Napoleon. Napoleon abolished the monarchies
of the countries he conquered and granted the people many new rights like the
ability to own land and freely travel. Under his new system of ruling people
were more equal than under monarchies. Napoleon also put in place a system
where people were rewarded based on ability, not social standing. Joel Tyler
Headley wrote, in Napoleon and His Marshals, “Napoleon's moral character
was indifferent enough; yet as a friend of human liberty, and eager to promote
the advancement of the race, by opening the field to talent and genius, however
low their birth, he was infinitely superior to all the sovereigns who
endeavored to crush him.” Napoleon was in favor of liberty and his changes were
in line with that. He viewed everyone except himself as equal, so he removed
the monarchies that posed a threat to his power. The political systems of
Europe under Napoleon shifted from absolute rule of monarchies to a meritocracy
where people were more equal and enjoyed more liberty.
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