Napoleon :: History, The French Revolution

catnap hardly upholds the ideals of the French Revolution because he treasured to secure and strengthen his own creator. During his rise to power, Napoleon adhered to the ideals dutifully. In his obstetrical delivery to his troops, Napoleon said, We are waging war as generous enemies, and we wish only to crush the tyrants who enslave the Italian muckle (Document 1). He tells them to be respectful of early(a) countries, to give them rights they have the right to enjoy. This follows Lockes 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. all over time, Napoleon used these ideals to increase and solidify his power. Napoleon Crossing the the Alps by Jacques Louis David (Document 4) correctly illustrates Napoleons France. In this painting, Napoleon, dressed in breeches and a fancy army uniform rides on a sawhorse, holding the reins loosely but firmly, looking majestic . The horse is strong from the unembellished muscles in its legs. At a closer look, the horses eyeball 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 full 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 set people, since in Napoleons France people acquired jobs based on their readiness 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 mysteri ous Police keep tabs on people. Both of these actions were direct violations of the enlightenment and firmness of purpose 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 deception 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, Napoleon had become anointed of the Lordthose lacking in their duty to our emperorresisting the order established by God himself (Document 11).