Napoleon Essay Plan

Napoleon Essay Plan

napoleoEssay Plan: Key Issue 2 – Assess the reforms introduced by Napoleon during the Consulate (1799-1804)
Structure
  1. Introduction – Summarise the period between1799-1804 and summarise the importance of the question and what it suggests about Napoleons reforms.
  2. Legal/Political Reforms – Civil Code/Code Napoleon + Unified Legal System
  3. Economic Reforms – Taxation + Bank of France + Continental System + Police/Prefects
  4. Religion – The Concordat + Organic Articles + Imperial Catechism
  5. Social – Education + Legion of Honour & Other Titles
  6. Economic Reforms
  * Tightening of central control – improved government revenue from taxation.
  * 1800 – Central Treasury reorganised + tax register.
  * Tax returns up to date within a year.
  * New indirect taxes on consumer goods & custom duties e.g. taxes on salt, tobacco + alcohol X4.
  * Financial market welcomed NB + used his confidence to encourage financers to invest in a new Bank of France (Jan, 1800) which improved circulation of money.
  * Bank responsible for money supply & govern. Bonds
  * New metal coinage (1803) based on silver franc.
  * Policies helped by economic upturn e.g. series of good harvest, purchase of foreign grain stocks – bread prices stable.
  * NB tried to stimulate economy through ‘CS’ which caused economic disruption.
  * 1793 – UK goods prohibited from French territories + neutral shipping goods confiscated.
  * French manufacturers suffered UK retaliation & wine trade stopped.
  * Liberal/Illiberal Prefects
  * Liberal/Illiberal Police
Analysis
  * Not successful – France experienced little growth. By 1810 France in severe debt.
  * Liberal Reform + Reform or Revolutionary
  * Benefits: Businessmen/Workers
Legal/Political – The Civil Code (1804)
  * Pre Revolution had 366 different local law codes – revolution swept away but not a single code to replace it.
  * 1804 – Civil Code completed work...