Code Napoleon example essay topic

276 words
The Napoleonic Era "Victory belongs to the most persevering". Should Napoleon have been able to foresee the future, he perhaps would have restated this quote into something along the lines of "don't let your ego get in the way of victory". It would be difficult for one to argue that Napoleon had a great impact on France during his rule from 1799 to 1814. However, one could argue whether he was successful in his rule, or if he left a positive impact and carried out his will in his own best interest or that of the revolutionaries, of if he was even a great man. When looking at what happened during the Napoleonic Era, the answers to these questions are even still debatable. One cannot truly answer these questions without understanding what happened during his time.

One of Napoleon's first accomplishments was the Concordat. Essentially, it made peace with the Catholic Church and the French Government. Napoleon did this not because he had faith in the Catholic religion, but because he knew that this would thwart any contesting from the Church. Secondly, Napoleon finished the effort started in the revolution to codify laws, as opposed to the hundreds of different legal systems that existed before the revolution. The most significant code instituted was the Code Napoleon.

This code, also called the Civil Code, recognized before the law all citizens equally. It gave them many rights, such as the right to choose their own job, and religion. It also protected employers because trade unions and employee strikes became forbidden, and property rights were maintained.