The impact of Napoleon's rule on France - 1799-1815 - NEEDED FOR EXAM COPY COPY Flashcards
Financial and economic policies and problems: taxation; the central economy; the impact of war and the Continental System; degree of economic change Have a mindmap on
What 3 taxes did Napoleon keep from the Directory?
- Contribution fonciere
- Contribution personnel mobiliere
- Other direct taxes including customs duties
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What was the contribution fonciere and what did it provide?
A land tax that provided the bulk of government revenue
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What was the contribution personnel mobiliere?
A tax on personal property such as servants and carriages
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What was an issue with the contribution personnel mobiliere?
It brought in a small amount of revenue and was sometimes more costly to collect than it was worth
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What did Napoleon seek to do?
Increase tax revenue and make the collection of it more efficient
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What did Napoleon’s officials begin to do in 1807?
Began drawing up a new cadastre (land register)
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What was the purpose of a new cadastre (land register)
To measure the value of land in order to recalculate the land tax
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What two things would the new cadastre do?
- Make the tax fairer
- Ensure that farmers who had increased the value of their land paid more tax
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How much of France had been assessed by 1815 for the new cadastre?
1/5
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What was allowed from September 1803?
Towns and cities were allowed to levy an octroi on consumer goods entering their administration
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What did the octroi levy gradually replace?
The contribution personnel mobiliere
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Where were tax collectors and inspectors appointed?
To each departement
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How were tax collectors and inspectors paid?
On proportion to the taxes they collected
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What did tax collectors/inspectors have to give to receivers?
Their tax receipts
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What was subject to inspection by central government?
Tax receipts handed from tax collectors/inspectors to receivers
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Was the method of tax receipts and payment on proportion to the amount of taxes paid an efficient method?
Yes it was much more efficient than the way the Directory collected taxes
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What did the Constitution of Year VIII establish?
A commission to take responsibility for accounting of state revenue and expenditure
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What came from the establishment of the commission taking responsibility for state expenditure/revenue, and when?
The Cour des Comptes of September 1807
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What was the Cour des Comptes?
A central bureau for handling and auditing the state’s finances
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What did the Cour des Comptes do?
It kept detailed accounts of income and expenditure and ministries and had to have certified authorisation for the release of money
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What were any improvements in tax assessment and collection offset by and why?
The cost of maintaining the army and the Empire due to almost continuous war
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What did the government rely heavily on?
Indirect taxes on a range of goods including playing cards
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What happened to the taxes on alcohol, salt and tobacco?
They quadrupled
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What did the impact of increasing taxes on alcohol, salt and tobacco do to the working class?
It hit them hard as they were regressive taxes
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What became a worry as a result of the increased taxes disproportionately impacting working classes?
It wasn't ideal, as harsh taxation of the working class was one of the factors that caused the revolution in the first place D
Who did the new taxation system indirectly favour?
The elite
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Who did the tax burden heavily fall on?
The working class D
What was important about the reforms on tax collection?
It meant revenue actually reached the government, rather than being lost in transportation
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What did the stability and security of Napoleon’s position rely on?
More reform of the French finances
What did the Directory try to do regarding currency issues and how?
Fix them by issuing Assignats
How did Napoleon view Assignats?
He saw paper money as worthless
What type of currency did Napoleon issue instead of Assignats?
Metal coinage
What bank did Napoleon establish?
The Bank of France
What was the purpose of the Bank of France? 2 things
- To provide credit for the government and entreprenurs
2. To produce and control gold and silver coins as a national currency
What was the limitation on the paper currency the Bank of France could issue?
500-1000 franc notes
What impact did the establishment of the Bank of France have on the French economy and why?
This boosted the French economy as it controlled the sale of government bonds and Napoleon could increase loans at reasonable interest rates so that they could be paid off
Who was Jean Antoine Chaptal?
Interior Minister of Napoleon
What 3 contributions did Chaptal make?
- He established the Bureau of Statistics
- Formation of a society in 1801 which offered prizes and held exhibitions of products of the French industry.
- Established the Councils of Agriculture, Arts and Commerce in each of France’s departments
What was the purpose of the Bureau of Statistics?
To gather data from the departments on conditions of agriculture, commerce and industry
When were the Councils of Agriculture, Arts and Commerce established?
1801
What did Chaptal’s contributions increase? 3 things
Mechanisation, mass production of goods and technical innovation.
What was Napoleon more interested in which caused Chaptal to step down?
Luxury goods which would reflect well upon his regime,
Between 1811-1812, how much did wool yield increase by?
400%
How much did exported silk value increase by?
26 million francs to 64 million francs
What did the wartime economy stimulate demand for?
Armaments (military weapons and equipment)
What did the demand for armaments come at the expense of?
The peacetime economy which lacked investment
What reduced the aggregate demand in the economy?
Labour was lost due to conscription
In order to finance the war, what five things did Napoleon do?
1) tightening taxation
2) conscripting soldiers at low wages
3) taking out loans
4) selling land - like Louisiana to the USA
5) exploiting conquered territories
What did the British naval blockade do?
Cut off the Atlantic trade
What was a consequence of the British blockade?
French trade moved toward Europe
What was the continental system?
The banning of all British trade with France and all its “allies”
When was the continental system created?
1806
What was the aim of the continental system?
To weaken Britain by closing European markets.
What did France hope Britain would do in response to the continental system?
Hoped that Britain would sue for peace so France would get the Atlantic trade back as well as boosting French production to fill the gaps in the European markets.
What three reasons caused the continental system to fail?
- French Navy was not strong enough
- Smuggling thrived (even officials indulged in illegal practices)
- British retaliation hit French producers
What was Napoleon forced to do in 1810 after the continental system failed?
Ease the continental blockade in 1810, permitting some licensed trade.
From which year were British goods prohibited from entering French territories?
1893
What two issues significantly limited the degree of economic change in France?
Demand and supply side issues
What two reasons caused limited demand?
- Population was agricultural and heavily taxed
2. Low standards of living
What two reasons caused a lack of incentives to work in industries?
- Poor living conditions in the cities
2. The army was more of an attractive career
Why was there a loss of markets in the war?
There were no incentives to invest and therefore a lack of development
What was the bourgeoisie by and what was the result?
They were satisfied by the biens nationaux - no incentive to engage in trade or invest
What were three consequences of the poor infrastructure in France?
- Bad roads
- Labour immobility
- Communication issues
Why was farming unprofitable?
Maximum prices and food price controls made no incentive for farmers to invest and grow
What was the result of Napoleon establishing the Bank of France and switching the currency to coins?
This control helped boost the economy as people and businesses felt safe enough financially to take out loans and buy government bonds.
What happened to harvests in 1809 and 1811?
They were very bad harvests, leading to damages to the economy due to a high reliance on agriculture
