The Napoleonic Code

The Napoleonic code, which is the French Civil Code, was setted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804.

The code is about forbade privilleges based on birth, the right of equality under the laws, the right to hold property, freedom of religion, and freedom to pursue work of one's choice.

Unfortunately, women lost their rights because of the code.Beacause the code was one of Napoleons's great achievements, it was very effective.

Many countries in Europe were affected by the code and even Quebec and Louisiana still use the code as the civil law.

The code was so clearly written that the historians have called it "one of the few documents which have influenced the whole world".

The start of the Napoleonic code was earlier French laws and Roman laws .

The reason that Napoleon decide to form a new set of laws is before the revolution, France did not have a single set of laws.

Laws were different in every local and the few basic laws that were formed wern't followed well.

Also the French laws before the ancien regime(France before the revolution)were too complicated for the citizens in France.

The Status of Women in France(Napoleonic Era)

As the Napoleonic code was based on ancient Roman law, women lost their authority.

Napoleon was strict about the law in "women lost rights" because he strongly believed in ancient Roman law.

Napoleon even said women whould stick to knitting.Napoleon thiought the women were inferior to men.

Accordingly, the women who were in high status in the previous decades lost their many rights because of the code.

For some people, Napoleonic code was their savior, but for some people such as women hated it so much.

When, Napoleon's civil code placed women once again under control of their fathers and husbands, women cannot do nothing for it.

Otherwise, they would be killed.

The men could do whatever they want to the women who disobeyed,women don't have rights to property,could not inherit anything,and need a permission to buy something such as house.

Napleon's view to women was just discriminatory.

Napoleon and the Liberation of Haiti

"Remember, brave Negroes, that France alone recognizes your liberty and equal rights."
-Naploeon Bonaparte

Around 1800, Napoleon made a promise with the people of Haiti that he would end slavery .

The biggest reason that Napoleon was try to be nice to the people in Haiti was the colonization.

Haiti, the island of slaves, approximately 500 000 African men and women worked, cultivated sugar, coffee, cocoa, and cotton.

Because sugar was highly desirable in Europe, Napoleon decided to take over Haiti.

When Haitian leaders such as Toussaint L' Ouverture, Jean Jacques Dessalines,and Henri Christophe made their choice to not to follow Napoleon because they knew Napoleon will break the promise of the freedom of slaves.

In,1801,Toussaint L' Ouverture declared Haiti as an independent country.

Napoleon knew Haiti was so needed and too valuable to lose.

After, Napoleon sented 25 000 men and the battle ships, Toussaint got captured and ended his life in jail.

As soon as Napoleon felt allies wern't needed, he broke the promise of the freedom in slaves as the people expected.

The Crowning of Napoleon as Emperor

In 1804, there was a most important coronation in the history of France.

It was the moment of Napoleon became the Emperor in France.

Napoleon's soldier life in France to the Emperor in France.

That day would be Napoleon's greatest day in his life.

In 1799,when Napoleon took out the corrupt government and seized the power, he earned the title of First Consul.

First Consul was the idea from Roman and the civil code was from Roman law too.As you can see, when he became the emperor of France, he adapted many customs from old Rome.

Anyway, five years after Napoleon took the power over France, he crowned himself Emperor.

Many European monarchs were relieved by this act and so as the poor and starving citizens.

After, Napoleon positioned to the Emperor, he was tyrant than any of the rurlers of the ancien rigime(France before revolution).

However, Napoleon setted up the new laws for the citizens called The Civil Code, improved the study of art by establish museums, established universities and school, and kept the price of food low.

"I order you to have fun"
-Napoleon Bonaparte

Censorship and Dissent in France

Napoleon the Emperor was vicious and tyrant.

Napoleon setted up the secret police force and arrest people for no reason.

This kind of actions made him dictator and started to get unpopular.

The intelligeant Emperor, Napoleon knew that he have to stay popular in order to succeed.

Accordingly, Napoleon took over the the media, the new way to interact with citizens in good ways.

Newspapers were told what they could print or what they could not.For examples, the newspapers cannotcriticize the Emperor in any situations and they always have to say good thing about him.

It's not just newspapers that Napoleon controlled.Napoleon took control of the books,shows,and even school children.

In the school, the children were tought about Napoleon's greatness and the ways to serve him.

This actions are called censorship.

Censorship means the act of preventing certain publicans or pictures from reaching public.

France has a long history of governmental censorship because of those selfish and tyrant kings and emperor.

Napoléon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte
1769-1821
Born in Corsica.
Trained as an artillery officer in France.
Staged a coup d' etat and put himself as First Consul.
Five years later, Napoleon became Emperor of France.
With lost at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was sent to an island of Saint Helena and died due to stomach cancer.