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Dana Blackburn
8 April 2015
More People with More Money
Many people assume Napoleon was an autocratic traitor. In fact, some compare him to
Adolf Hitler because he had so much power. However, his written legislation was beneficial to
the majority of the French people, which largely included the upper middle class, sometimes
referred to as the bourgeoisie. Napoleon did everything possible to help the bourgeoisie
through constructing a brand new constitution, instituting the Napoleonic Code, and
implementing new taxation and conscription policies.
After he overthrew the Directory, Napoleon held the power of France. In the Consular
Republic he established, two more consuls accompanied Napoleon and they constructed the
Constitution of 1799. This constitution gave universal male suffrage, which allowed all men, no
matter wealth or race, to vote for an electorate, who went on to elect the Tribunate and the
Legislative body. Napoleon instituted a new form of governmentan empirethat withered the
other bodies of government so they had minute power or they eventually fell apart. In 1800,
Napoleon took it upon himself to build an institutionthe Bank of France. The emergence of the
Bank of France provided jobs and those who had money could put it in the bank for the state to
borrow.1
The Napoleonic Code of 1804 was a dramatic change for French politics. Key articles of the
code highlighted equality before the law and toleration of all religions (Catholicism was the main
religion, as stated in the Concordant, which expressed Catholicism as the main, but not only,

1 John Merriman, A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present, (New York: Norton)
1996, 477-495.

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religion in France)2, worker regulations, abolition of feudal dues from the Revolution, restoration
of patriarchal positions, and equal inheritance of offspring were also discussed in the code.
Taxation and conscription policies changed in regards to the Napoleonic Code. The new taxation
policies lowered land taxes, but taxes on individual goods increased. Also, Napoleons new
conscription policies allowed men to pay their way out of conscription of the Revolution.3
However, Napoleon offered better rewards for those who served the military and to those who
excelled in the given position, encouraging the Revolution, but giving men more freedom in their
decisions. Based on wealth, position, and service, he would promote officers and give them a
title as a notable.4
Napoleons efforts allowed many bourgeoisie members to thrive financially. Constitutionally,
men were able to indirectly vote through a wealthier electorate, resulting in more bourgeoisie
members in office with better jobs. Another of Napoleons additions, The Bank of France,
allowed people to earn interest through money borrowed from the government, thus increasing
the wealth of the bourgeoisie. The Napoleonic Code governed justice before the law, which
saved people of all classes from being arrested without a reasonable cause. More people were
attracted to France at this point, along with the help of the Concordant. These changes provided
more work for members of the bourgeoisie. More work meant more workers. Worker regulations
allowed business owners to save money from business struggles due to employee problems,
another benefit to the bourgeoisie. Extra money saved from the abolition of feudal dues
promoted social rankings among citizens and they used that money to develop their businesses.

2 The Concordant, 10 September 1801 in Rule By Plebiscite: A Sourcebook, ed. Philip G. Dwyer and Peter McPhee
(London: Routledge, 2002) 149-152
3 Alison Steigerwald, "Principles and Practices," Revolution, War, and Peace: LBST 2101-210, UNC at Charlotte,
February 2nd, 2015.
4 John Merriman, A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present, (New York: Norton)
1996, 497-498.

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Another point in the Napoleonic Code was the abolishment of primogeniture, the traditional way
of inheritance in which only the oldest son received the birthright. This allowed one brother to
buy the land from another, instead of selling it off to a stranger, keeping land in the family
longer. These efforts assisted the bourgeoisie to grow and played another role in the development
of businesses.5 Property taxes decreased, but taxes on other things, like tobacco, alcohol, salt, and
playing cards increased, causing the upper class to pay less and the lower class to obliviously pay
more.6 Another example of how Napoleon grew the bourgeoisie is how he offered incentives for
military officers. Officer advancements increased the strength of the army through motivation
and increased the size of the bourgeoisie. Advanced officers received titles as Notables and
Nobles and received substantial benefits for their service.5 Through these efforts, Napoleon
spread wealth and gave opportunities to many people.
With the help of the new constitution, public officials were promoted and grew in popularity. The
Napoleonic Code established legal foundations for businesses and the economy. His taxation and
conscription policies gave many options to the bourgeoisie members, as they were able to save
money and decide if they wanted to be in the army. As far as tyranny is concerned, Napoleon
used his power for the greater good of the popular bourgeoisie and middle classes of France. He
saw what the French needed most and served the people as best as he could.

5 John Merriman, A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present, (New York: Norton)
1996, 495-498.
6 Alison Steigerwald, "Principles and Practices," Revolution, War, and Peace: LBST 2101-210, UNC at Charlotte,
February 2nd, 2015.