Napoleonic+Code+2015

Aim: Joy The Napoleonic code was created by Napoleon as a way to unify France. Before the revolution, all parts of France had different laws, among other things. As Robert Wilde, a European History Expert, described, "there was no single unified set of laws which covered the whole of France" (1). Napoleon would have wanted the land to be unified, truly one country. The code has multiple parts to it, the first dealing with people. The encyclopedia Britannica starts their description with, "The first book of the code deals with the law of persons: the enjoyment of civil rights, the protection of personality..." ("Napoleonic Code"). The second part of the code deals with things, namely property, while the third deals with acquisition of rights. Napoleon would have written this code in order for France, and later the countries he took over, to have a rational and logical law. As a leader, he most likely wanted his lands to all look the same way (in terms of government). The Napoleonic Code is still in use today, or at least aspects of it are used. Works cited "Napoleonic Code." // Encyclopedia Britannica //. 2014. N.p. Web. 23 April 2915. Wilde, Robert. //Napoleonic Code/Code Napoleon//. About. N.d. Web. 23 April 2015.

Audience: Meagan



Napoleonic code, also known as civil code, is the french code that was used under Napoleon Bonaparte’s ruling in France. The civil code was used to unify all parts of France under one set of laws instead of being under various sets of law like it originally was. While some of the code was used to empower men and give them authority over women, some of the code was used to improve society. As part of the code, “ Freedom and the right of private property were key, but branding, easy imprisonment and limitless hard labor returned,” (Wilde). The code was written for the people, in order to ensure that their rights were protected. Unfortunately for women, the code was not necessarily used for them only for their male counterparts. As an example, “Under the code all male citizens are equal: primogeniture, hereditary nobility, and class privileges are extinguished; civilian institutions are emancipated from ecclesiastical control; freedom of person, freedom of contract, and inviolability of private property are fundamental principles,” (Napoleonic Code). Although it states that the code was made for all male citizens, in other parts of the code it excluded males that were not of the white race and those men were subject to servitude. The main group that benefited from Napoleon Bonaparte’s code were the white men of the wealthier class.

Works Cited:

"Napoleonic Code." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2014. N.p. Web. 23 April 2915.

Wilde, Robert. Napoleonic Code/Code Napoleon. About. N.d. Web. 23 April 2015.

Historical: Jonathon The Napoleonic code was a new attempt to unify the laws of France. The Encyclopædia Britannica explains that "Roman law governed in the south of France, whereas in the northern provinces, including Paris, a customary law had developed, based largely on feudal Frankish and Germanic institutions" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). code, the first of it's kind in France was drafted to update the french government in accordance with the more modern thinking of the then young revolutionized country. Robert Wilde states that "In many ways, the Code was a compromise of the old and new, favoring conservatism and traditional morality". The code reformed much of France's judiciary and cut the final ties to the feudal system. In the modern era France has over 60 of these codes that are updated every year. New codes and interpretations are created, similar to the American ammendment system, but integrated at a much faster rate. Works cited "Napoleonic Code." // Encyclopedia Britannica //. 2014. N.p. Web. 23 April 2915. Wilde, Robert. //Napoleonic Code/Code Napoleon//. About. N.d. Web. 23 April 2015.

Cultural: Joy The Napoleonic Code was set in place to unify the laws of France and countries Napoleon had conquered. At the time, "there were large geographic variations, from the Roman Law which dominated in the south, to a Frankish / Germanic Customary Law which dominated in the north around Paris" (Wilde 1). This would have changed the legal system of the time, altering lives and traditions. But in doing so, Napoleon created a system still used today. The encyclopedia Britannica described this, stating, "the Napoleonic Code was voluntarily adopted in a number of European and Latin American countries, either in the form of simple translation or with considerable modifications" ("Napoleonic Code"). Some of the ideas in his so called Civil Code are the basis of government in Europe, showing how his ideas have lasted. In today's culture, some of those rights in Napoleon's Code are considered natural, and culture today is all about rights and equality. Works cited "Napoleonic Code." // Encyclopedia Britannica //. 2014. N.p. Web. 23 April 2915. Wilde, Robert. //Napoleonic Code/Code Napoleon//. About. N.d. Web. 23 April 2015.