Napoleon :: History, The French Revolution

Napoleon only upholds the ideals of the French Revolution because he wanted to secure and strengthen his own power. During his rise to power, Napoleon adhered to the ideals dutifully. In his speech to his troops, Napoleon said, â€Å"We are waging war as generous enemies, and we wish only to crush the tyrants who enslave [the Italian people]† (Document 1). He tells them to be respectful of other countries, to give them rights they have the right to enjoy. This follows Locke’s enlightenment ideas, that everyone has inherent rights that cannot be taken away. Being an supporter of equal rights, he gained popularity with the French people. Over time, Napoleon used these ideals to increase and solidify his power. Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques Louis David (Document 4) correctly illustrates Napoleon’s France. In this painting, Napoleon, dressed in breeches and a fancy army uniform rides on a horse, holding the reins loosely but firmly, looking majestic. The horse is strong from the apparent muscles in its legs. At a closer look, the horse’s eyes are too wide and wild and its mouth is gaping open. The horse symbolized France as whole at the time period, when everything was chaotic, with beheadings everyday and constant fears of invasion. Napoleon kept France under absolute control but still allowed enough freedoms to the people. France was a republic in name only. During this time period, the French people were ensured equality, as long as they abided by the law, the Napoleonic Code (Document 9), which unified the legal system of France under one set of laws. Meritocracy was instilled and schools were established to educate people, since in Napoleon’s France people acquired jobs based on their skill and not family connections. Food prices were stabilized so that everyone could afford to eat. By establishing a strong centralized authority, Napoleon brought order to France. He began censoring newspapers and had the Secret Police keep tabs on people. Both of these actions were direct violations of the enlightenment and Declaration of the Rights of Man, which stated, people had the right to freedom of speech, press, and religion, and could not be silenced for these views. The hypocrisy of his actions are seen once again, when Napoleon crowns himself Emperor. By doing so, he is saying that his power to rule is derived from god. The Napoleonic Catechism proclaimed, â€Å"[Napoleon had become] anointed of the Lord†¦those lacking in their duty to our emperor†¦resisting the order established by God himself† (Document 11).