Napoleon became a very famous leader of France. He was not only one of the strongest leaders France has ever witnessed, but he led France to their biggest downfall. Napoleon became a strong leader when France needed it the most after the French Revolution. Napoleon brought new ideas to the French government and the lives of civilians. He influenced France in many positive and negative ways, i.e. changed the French government, industrialized the economy, and created the Napoleonic Code.
Napoleon took control of France in 1799 when the government was extremely delicate to him because of the revolution. According to Biography.com, Napoleon took over when the people needed a leader, but the only kind of leader the French people have ever seen was a Monarchy so they let him become a military dictator. During Napoleon’s dictatorship he created two national assemblies. The national assembly was a group of people chosen by Napoleon that would help with running the country. Napoleon ended the Feudal system which benefited the peasants, who were given more opportunities than before, but the nobility was left with less than they had ever had before. Just because there was no more Feudal system, it does not mean that the people had a say in the way that their country was being run. All laws were created by the national assemblies and all laws must be approved by Napoleon. Napoleon wanted to change France for the better.
France began to industrialize the economy. Napoleon started to build schools, roads, and hospitals for all French people. Expanding education was huge for France because schools became open to everyone for free. According to Public.Gettysburg.edu there were four grades in the Napoleon school system — Primary, Secondary, Lycees, and a training school, or college. Napoleon once spoke, “If you want things done well then do it yourself.”(Napoleon, 1801) Napoleon meant that if he wanted France to be great he was going to have to make it great himself. He then improved buildings and built new ones. He also built several memorials dedicated to the revolution to comfort the loved ones of those who had died. France also began to produce many new weapons to help win the War against the surrounding countries. As Napoleon thought of many new ideas for improving his new country he thought of the Napoleonic code.
The Napoleonic Code was a list of laws created by Napoleon to help keep France from returning to a Monarchy. Most laws on this list were well thought out. According to the book The Illustrated Napoleon by David G., the Napoleonic Code stated that all people were equal, that the feudal right ended, jury trials were established, as well as the religious freedom. The code also had some very strange laws like fathers were allowed to imprison their children up to a month, and women were not allowed to own land. Napoleon also created individual rights that said everyone is equal in the court of law, if someone feels that a person has committed a crime the secret police would be informed, and most newspapers were censored propaganda. The French people had no idea what the outside world was like.
Napoleon created a strong government for the people of France. He changed people’s lives for the better and the worst. He gave education to all, but put France through a major war that they lost.