French Revolution Essay - How far was Napoleon's system of rewards responsible for his maintenance of power?
70 views 2 purchases
Course
Depth Study (2HFRANCEINREVOLUTION)
Institution
AQA
Book
Oxford AQA History for A Level
An A-Level History essay from 2H France in Revolution focusing on the rule of Napoleon. Answers the question: How far was Napoleon's system of rewards responsible for his maintenance of power? Graded 22/25 (A*) by my teacher.
French Revolution Essay - 'Napoleonic rule in Europe brought more hardship than gain for the common people.' Assess the validity of this view.
French Revolution Essay - Assess the Reasons for the Collapse of the Directory
How significant was the coming of war for the radicalisation of the revolution between April and September 1792
All for this textbook (58)
Written for
A/AS Level
AQA
History
Depth Study (2HFRANCEINREVOLUTION)
All documents for this subject (402)
Seller
Follow
alevelhistory
Reviews received
Content preview
How far was Napoleon’s system of rewards responsible for his maintenance
of power after 1804?
Overall, Napoleon’s system of rewards was largely responsible for his maintenance of power
after 1804. He rewarded people who were loyal to him and persuaded old enemies, e.g.
emigres and royalist rebels, to rally around the regime through offerings of reconciliation and
patronage. Napoleon also used cohesive methods to maintain his power by carefully
controlling his image through propaganda and censorship and using military and political
repression to those who refused to support him. However, the system of rewards was more
important in his maintenance of power because it made the notables support Napoleon which
was important because they were the ones with influence to persuade others to follow him
and were also the ones with the potential political power to unseat him.
Napoleon gave out rewards to those who served him land the empire loyally. He gace out
rewards at little cost to himself which bound up the recipitents prospect with the regime so
that they would support the maintenance of it. For example, the Legion of Honour was
established in 1802 but continued throughout Napoleon’s reign was an honour bestowed upon
those who had been particularly loyal and had served Napoleon well. The recipitents received
a small annual salary as well as symbols of their membership such as the star of the order and
a sash. This was a huge honour and it ensured the continued loyalty of the members as well
as giving some people something to aspire towards to prove their loyalty to Napoleon. He
also created an imperial nobility in 1808 whose titles were often accompanied by gifts of
estates and pensions and which could become hereditary. This bound up the fates of the
notables of the empire with the stability of the regime and ensured their support in the
maintenance of his power. Napoleon also reformed the education system to create lycees
which provided scholarships for secondary education for boys particularly of military men.
Napoleon’s systems of rewards was important in the maintenance of his power because it
made the notables of the empire, those who had political power and were influential to those
around them, supportive of Napoleon which helped him maintain internal stability, avoid
major opposition and ultimately maintain his power.
Napoleon focused on a policy or ralliement, or rallying all around his new regime through his
offers of rewards or reconciliation. He gave generous amnesty to rebels in the west and
overtures to emigres and refractory priests and often would offer rewards to those who would
support him. He also reconciled with the Church in the Concordat in 1801 which made
Catholic worship freely available again, something which was extremely important to a vast
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller alevelhistory. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.85. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
