Was Napoleon an Enlightened Absolutist? - ECONOMIC

Question 1

Enlightened views on the economy

Answer 1

• Traditional ‘liberty’ should extend to economic reform
• Quesnay was a physiocrat and insisted taxes must change, only fair tax was a single land tax paid by all i.e. laissez-faire
• Concept of limited government intervention so economy could be driven by fair competition and by ‘natural laws’ of supply and demand

Question 2

Enlightened examples i.e. improving economy

Answer 2

• One of Napoleon’s first acts was to refuse to honour agreements paid for in worthless paper money and declare the only legal tender would be metal coinage
• Bank of France est. January 1800; main purpose to produce and control national currency of gold and silver coins
• Monetary control and responsible behaviour considerably. Boosted the French economy by controlling sales of government bonds

Question 3

Figures gathered by Montalivet?

Answer 3

• Minister of Interior 1811-12
• Showed France saw some industrial advancement
• Wool industry increased yield 400%
• Exported silks rose in value from 26m francs to 64m from 1790-1812

Question 4

Unenlightened

Answer 4

• Cost of war = indirect tax on goods; alcohol, salt and tobacco quadrupled
• Labour was controlled: Napoleon’s ideas on economics were rather old fashioned; considered restoring the guilds
• Ban on trade unions remained
• Passbooks were introduced to limit workers’ freedom of movement; livret
• Control of prices and the supply of food was introduced
• Export of corn was firmly restricted and maximum prices for bread and flour introduced in 1812
• However, was aware that hunger was a much greater threat than the desire for liberty.