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How Did Napoleon Bonaparte Impact On Society

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In order to gain the immediate and long term impact that Napoleon is known for, he had to break the norms of 19th century Europe, by shifting away from the status quo, his significance is entrenched in western history. Despite being minor Corsican nobility, Napoleon fought in the revolutionary army alongside common Frenchmen, combined with his entrenchments of certain rights and liberties in his constitution and laws, he was seen as the people’s monarch, not the leader of the aristocratic establishment (Harvey). Unlike the hereditary monarchies of Napoleonic Era, Napoleon was a meritocratic monarch, he rose to power through sheer determination and ability (“Napoleon’s Impact”). And following his assent to emperorship, Napoleon created a new hybrid …show more content…

Creating a religious establishment loyal to him and below the state, whereas in other countries, the church had equal standing as the state. While other European nations promoted careers based on bloodlines and social status, Napoleon employed the best commanders and leaders France had to offer, regardless of birth. Previously mentioned François Joseph Lefebvre and Joachim Murat were only two of the prominent members of the Napoleonic Empire’s common born ruling elite (Wright 41). Creating a ruling class and army based on merit was unheard of in the 19th century, Napoleon pioneered careers and promotions based on talent as other nations came to realize the disadvantage they had facing Napoleon. Napoleon was also unique in his goals, he did not want to maintain European balance of power, he wanted French hegemony over Europe (Bell 70), and was the one of the few who came close to creating a pan-European empire. Furthermore, unlike his peers, Napoleon pioneered modern dictatorial methods of governance with the use of his centralized government with no checks on his

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