Education
Like some of the philosophes and the majority of active
revolutionaries, Napoleon favored a state system of public
education. The curriculum would be secular and schools would be
managed under the direction of the state and not the Church. For
Napoleon, education would serve a dual role. State funded education
would provide him with capable officials necessary to administer
his laws and trained officers to man his army. The young would also
be indoctrinated to obedience and authority. Napoleon established
the University of France - a giant board of education that placed
education under state control. To this day, little has changed -
education is strictly centralized with curriculum and academic
standards set for the entire nation. Women, of course, were
excluded. "Marriage is their whole destination," Napoleon once
wrote. Women did not need education, all they needed was
religion.
Economics
Napoleon's economic policies were designed to strengthen France
and increase his popularity. To stimulate the economy and serve the
interests of the bourgeoisie, Napoleon aided industry through
tariffs and loans. He built or repaired roads, bridges and canals.
He established the Bank of France. He kept careers open to men of
talent and provided bread at low prices. He stimulated the
employment of artisans and did not restore ancient feudal
rights.
Napoleon was not a democrat - nor was he a republican. He was, he liked to think, an enlightened despot, sort of the man Voltaire might have found appealing. He preserved numerous social gains of the Revolution while suppressing political liberty. He admired efficiency and strength and hated feudalism, religious intolerance, and civil inequality. Enlightened despotism meant political stability. He knew his Roman history well - after 500 years of republicanism, Rome became an empire under Augustus Caesar.
Napoleon's domestic policies gained the popular support he demanded. But it was his military victories that mesmerized the French people. Napoleon realized the grand dream of Louis XIV - the mastery of Europe. Between 1805 and 1807, Napoleon defeated Austria, Prussia and Russia becoming the virtual ruler of the Continent. He embraced his own "art of war" that stressed rapid offensive attack over defensive positions (similar to the German Blitzkrieg). Surprise and speed were essential ingredients. So too were efforts to confuse his opponents: he supplied newspapers with incorrect information, he launched secondary offenses and he sent dense screens of cavalry ahead of his marching columns. He wanted to both surprise and demoralize the enemy. His troops were amazing. They marched fifty miles in 36 hours during one campaign in Italy in 1796. They accomplished 275 miles in 23 days during the Austrian campaign in 1805.
While he made every effort to humiliate and demoralize his enemy, Napoleon also understood the necessity of maintaining the morale of his own troops. So, he shared the dangers of war with his own men. He did not wait on a hill - rather, he led the charge. An army based on honor, vanity and personal loyalty is difficult to overcome. Alexander, Augustus Caesar and Charlemagne were all aware of this. By 1810, Napoleon dominated nearly all of Europe. Belgium, vast territories of Germany, Holland, Italy, Westphalia and Spain had all been annexed. Napoleon's "Grand Empire" also included Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden and Denmark.
