The Reforms of Napoleon and Their Impact on Europe

The more one studies carefully what Napoleon did during his wielding power in France and over much of Europe, the more one comes to realize that aside from being a sometimes brilliant general and military strategist, he really originated some important reforms.

"While Napoleon is often seen in terms of his military image, he was also one of history's great administrators. Napoleon set out to make France the greatest nation in Europe. To do this, he proposed many changes and projects, ranging from a complete re-do of the nation's legal system, including the establishment of the civil Code Napoleon, to a massive road construction project" (Markham 5).

What is also often overlooked in the long list of positive accomplishments by Napoleon was his education reforms. He even finalized a Concordat with the Pope which permitted the turnover of parochial schools in France to the State. This was truly a revolutionary move. After all, France was basically a Catholic nation. "So the state took control of the schools and strove to make them the nursery of intelligence, morality, and patriotism" (Durant 127). As a result of the state's taking over, another law was passed which forbad any ecclesiastic to become a teacher. In other words, no more priests and nuns teaching in so-called "public" schools, including improved secondary schools. Under Napoleon, France may well have been the first country to establish different "levels" of high schools- the so-called "lycees centrales" for high-average students, and then trade schools (although they were not called that) for education in everything from mining to astronomy.

Napoleon also developed a civil code, which is still in force in France, the Code Napoleon.