Napoleon's domestic policies - section 5

Question 1

24 December 1800?

Answer 1

Napoleon on his way to a gala performance of Hadan’s Creation, when a wagon bearing gunpowder - known as the ‘infernal machine’ was set off as his carriage passed.
Napoleon survived but 52 people were killed/wounded including Napoleon’s stepdaughter.
- N therefore not universally accepte.

Question 2

1800 plebiscite?

Answer 2

Constitution of Year VIII in a plebiscite.
Supplied N with the necessary justification of his position as First Consul to challenge those politicians who spoke out against this arrangement.
Turnout: 25% - 1.5 mil people
Lucien adjusted the statistics to suggest:
the turnout was 46.26% and
99.94% voted YES.

Question 3

What had the turnout for the 1793 and 1795 constitutions been?

Answer 3

1793: 33%
1795: 22%

Question 4

How did Napoleon appear to be a King?

Answer 4

He moved into the Tuileries palace, he had coins minted with his effigy on and wore a laurel wreath - ancient Roman symbol of supreme authority.

Like former Kings he selected the members of the Council of State over which he presided, awarding them ministerial positions:
Cambaceres: 1st Minister of Justice
Fouche: 1st Minister of Police

Question 5

Repression of the Jacobins?

Answer 5

• Some Jacobins were in fact behind a failed ‘dagger conspiracy’ to assassinate N in October 1800.
• However, they were wrongly blamed for the ‘infernal machine’ plot 24 Dec: this was actually perpetrated by royalists who were also found and guillotined.
• 1801 - 129 Jacobin leader arrested and deported to Seychelles or Guiana.

Question 6

What did some royalists expect when Napoleon came to power?

How did N respond?

Answer 6

Some initially entertained the false hope that N would quickly place the comte de Provence (who had styled himself as Louis XVIII) on the throne, while a few thought he would advance Louis Philippe d’Orleans.

Sept 1800 - N responded to a letter from the comte de Provence making his position clear - “You should not hope to return to France. It would be better for you to march over one hundred thousand corpses.”

Question 7

What happened to the Chouans?

Answer 7

General Brune, fresh from success in Holland, was sent to deal with those who refused Napoleon’s offer of a truce.
In Brittany, 6000 Chouan prisoners taken and 750 shot in 1800.

Question 8

Explain the royalist rebellion in Paris on the anniversary of Louis’ execution (21 Jan 1800)

Answer 8

The facade of the church of Sainte-Madeleine was covered in black and the King’s will posted on the door.
A constitutional bishop was assassinated.

Question 9

Give 3 occasions that involved royalist plots

Answer 9

‘The opera plot’. a spy ring and the cadoudal conspiracy (1804) all involved royalists.

Question 10

What followed the 1804 cadoudal conspiracy?

Answer 10

18 aristocrats were condemned to death but reprieved.

They remained in prison till 1814 and the ‘common’ conspirators were guillotined.

Question 11

What happened when his spy network wrongly reported news that a Bourbon prince was involved in conspiracies (dud d’Enghien)? 1804

Answer 11

Duc d’Enghien was living 15km from the French border and was said to ve in touch with royalists and emigres.

A plot was hatched to kidnap him and he was taken to Strasbourg and accused of bearing arms against the Republic, receiving funds from England and plotting. He was found guilty and shot in the ditch of the Chateau de Vincennes - Thereafter the royalists gave Napoleon little trouble.

Question 12

What did the liberals want and what happened to Madame de Stael and Benjamin Constant?

Answer 12

N was generally accepted by moderates but some were critical seeing N emerging as a dictator and they wanted a constitution that guarenteed rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of press.

Madame de Stael had views on ‘liberal government’ and her lover benjamin Constant and his friends formed thr nucleus of a liberal resistance group.
Napoleon in 1805 ordered that both Constant and Stael be banished to a distance of 64km from Paris.

Question 13

What did Napoleon do in attempt to reconcile the royalists?

Answer 13

Napoleon offered a generous amnesty to rebels in the west who were prepared to lay down their arms and give their support.
This helped win over some of the key royalist leaders particualrly when N promised to protect the Catholic Religion.
He also made overtures to the emigres and refractory prists and offered rewards and posts for thise prepared to support him.

Question 14

What was amalgame and ralliement

Answer 14

Amalgame was ending the social divisons of the AR by reconciling the old nobility and the new ruling elite.

Ralliement was rallying all from nobles to Jacobins around the regime.

Question 15

When was success at Marengo

Answer 15

1800 in Piedmont

Question 16

When was the Peace of Amiens and who was it popular with?

Answer 16

1802 - Britain - Popular w. those members of the bourgeoisie whose interests were in trade and peacetime occupations.

Question 17

Constitution of Year X

Answer 17

This modified the Constitution of Year VIII.
1802 - when the Senate offered N Consul for Life and the right to name his heir.
Issued in the interests of stabillity, confidence and the deterring of enemies.
Accompanied by another plebiscite:
Turnout: 50.55%
YES: 99.76%

The electoral process was changed by the constitution - those on the departmental list could only be appointed from the 600 leading tax payers in each department.
First Consul was to nominate up to 10 members from the 30 highest tax payers.

Question 18

What was the explanation for Empire and Emperor staus:?

Answer 18

According to N’s declaration - the move was made in response to the ‘pressure of public opinion and the advice of ‘prudent counsellors’.
1803 resumption of War - Revived fears that N would be killed on the battlefield, while the royalist plots like the Conspiracy of the Duc d’Enghien in Feb/March 1804 seemed to show him surrounded by enemies that had to be put down.
- Such threats proved a good excuse for extending power.

Question 19

Constitution of Year XII and plebiscite

Answer 19

Napoleon made Emperor of the French - he was anxious to form a dynasty - hereditary succession for the House of Bonaparte.

Plebiscite: Turnout: 47.2%
YE: 99.93%

Question 20

Napoleon’s crowning of Emperor?

Answer 20

Great pomp and splendour
Notre Dame Cathedral - Paris - 2 December 1804
N paid for Pope Pius VII to travel to France.
N did not let him crown him.
He put the Crown on his own head and proclaimed Josephine Empress.

Question 21

N’s second coronation?

Answer 21

26 May - 1805 - N crowned himself again.

Milan cathedral with the iron crown or Lombardy - symbolising his rule as King of Italy.

Question 22

From as early as Jan 1801, N began to block the wishes of the Tribunate and the Legislative Body….
How?

Answer 22

He used senatus consultum.
As membership increased, N was able to fill it with his own supporter and he had little trouble where substantial salaries and gifts of land went with the job.

Question 23

Jan - March - purging of the Senate/Trib/Leg?

Answer 23

He removed 20 from T and split it into 3
He removed 60 from the L

He also changed the voting qualifications in the C of Year X to give more political power and prestige to those well off notables on whom the regime relied.

Question 24

When was the T abolished and when was the last L meeting?

Answer 24

1810 and 1813.

Question 25

An example of N’s equality of opportunity?

Answer 25

General Augereau was the son of a Parisian fruit seller who rose to become the duc de Castiglione, a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and Marshal of France.

Question 26

When was the Legion of Honour established?

Answer 26

1802

Question 27

What was the Legion of Honour and who was given it?

Answer 27

A military and civil award but most of those selected to receive it were chosen for their military service - of the 32,000 aards made up to 1814 - only 1500 went to civilians.

Question 28

How did the Legion of honour order work?

Answer 28

N served as the grand master of the order and a council of 7 ‘gran officers’ administered the 15 cohorts into which the order was divided.
There were 5 classes ranging from the grand eagle to the chevalier(knight).

Question 29

What did recipients of the Legion of Honour receive?

Answer 29

A small annual salary as well as a star of order bearing the head of N and the motto ‘Honneur et patrie’
In 1805 - a large sash and a silver star with an eagle were introduced and a larger sash followed in 1814.
From 1808 - the title was made hereditary after 3 generations of recipient.

Question 30

Which women received the Legion of Honour?

Answer 30

3 women known to have received it for service w the military
Virginie Ghesquiere - disguised herself as a male to serve in the army between 1806 and 1812 after her bros death.
Marie Jeanne Schelling
And a nun - Sister Annge Biget.

Question 31

In what year were ducal titles created for senior figures and ‘Marshals of France’?

Answer 31

1806

Question 32

What did the March 1808 Imperial decree say?

Answer 32

N founded the Imperial Nobility. - A title awarded for service.

Question 33

How many of the Imperial Noble titles went to military men?

Answer 33

59%.
However, 22.5% of those ennobled by N were from the AR nobility and the award of titles thus became a prop to the policy of ralliement.

Question 34

What did Lucien Bonaparte do in response to the Imperial nobility?

Answer 34

He did not agree with the concept of nobility and abandined his political position in the Tribunate to go to Rome.
He only returned to support his bro in 1814 when he too was made prince.

Question 35

Examples of the gifts of states and pensions that went with titles?

Answer 35

a retiring senator could expect to receive the title of count, a country estate and residence and an annual income of 25,000 francs.
- an annual income of 200,000 francs was need to maintain the title of duke.

Question 36

Why was the imperial nobility not like the old?

Answer 36

It was only 1/7 of the size of the old nobility of 1789 and was primarily linked to service.

Question 37

What were the Marshals of France

Answer 37

The title given to N’s 18 outstanding generals.