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Summary Napoleon essay plans, OCR A level history
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A* 10 marker essay plans on Napoleon. Based on OCR A level history specification.
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10 Marker plans- Napoleon1. Which of the following had a greater impact on Napoleon’s rise to power?
a. Napoleon’s Italian Campaign
One could argue it was Napoleon’s Italian Campaign that had the greatest impact on his rise to
power as it served to demonstrate his military acumen to the masses of France whilst also bringing
much needed financial stability. He had numerous successes in Italy, such as setting up the new
Cisalpine republic and invading the Papal States. The rapid movement of his armies, his use of
artillery, his ability to divide and conquer his enemies as evidence by the successful Battle of Lodi, his
concentration of force, and his skilful heroic speeches to motivate his forces were symptomatic of
his success and were key to the development of the Napoleonic myth; which stood at the heart of
his public reputation and establishment of authority. Moreover, he was seen to personally negotiate
the Treaty or Formio 1797, which not only ended the 1 st coalition in Frances's favour, but it gave
France the Austrian Netherlands and the Cisalpine republic, and only ceded Venice to Austria. Thus,
Napoleon’s Italian campaign went further than just demonstrating his military ability, as his personal
consolidation of peace exemplified to the French people that he possessed the hallmarks necessary
to be a brilliant leader of France; diplomatic as well as military strength. The Italian campaign
essentially had the effect of bringing much needed prosperity to France after a decade of terror,
anarchy and weakness, with Napoleon being the epicentre of such overt success in Italy. Financially,
a steady stream of plunder back to Paris ensured the riches of Northern Italy paid the men; which in
turn further afforded him the popularity necessary to rise to prominence in France. The exploitation
of wealth of Italy exacerbated the weaknesses of the directory to solve the economic crisis.
Therefore, one could argue it was Napoleon’s Italian campaign that had the greatest impact on his
rise to power as it was pivotal in his gaining prestige and a formidable reputation back in France; it
perpetuated an image of a heroic, unbeatable general that was bringing sustenance to France and
establishing dominance in Europe.
b. Weaknesses of the Directory
On the other hand, one could argue it was the weaknesses of the directory that has a greater impact
on Napoleon’s rise to power, as had they been a strong and stable government, Napoleon would’ve
likely been remembered as a brilliant military general and not a leader of France. The directory were
politically weak and disorganised due to the poor structure and hierarchy of the executive powers.
The key aim of the new directory and constitution was to prevent a certain group or person from
possessing too much power, as the CPS and Robespierre did, and to prevent the return of monarchy.
Resultantly, the constitution had several weaknesses, for example, annual elections for both councils
led to instability as over 1/3 of members were replaced each year, meaning majority of the directory
were inexperienced. Moreover, there was no mechanism to resolve disputes between the directors
and the 2 councils which led to stalemate and inaction. Therefore, their overpowering fear of one
person gaining too much power was the detriment to the directory as it meant that no governing
body was actually in possession of authority, leaving France in a state of political chaos. This in turn
was significant in causing Napoleon’s rise to power because as a consequence of the lack of a leading
figure and the weak structure of the directory, he was able to improve his political stature.
Furthermore, the directory had become increasingly reliant upon Napoleon for military success and
to prevent political unrest, bolstering his reputation and making him an imperative figure of power.
In comparison to Napoleon’s financial achievements in the Italian campaign, the directory were
economically weak and insecure. The bankruptcy of 2/3s was an overt failure, as the minister for
Finance Dominic Ramal cancelled de facto debt which had huge ramifications for Frances economy,
making the directory further dependent upon Napoleon for survival. The Mandats Territoriaux,
replacement for the assignat, was another notorious failure and only served to worsen the
hyperinflation crisis. Therefore, the ineffectualness of the directory was a crucial factor in
, Napoleon’s rise to power as their actions as well as dependence upon Napoleon,
emphasised/highlighted/showcased his military, financial and diplomatic strengths to the French
people. Napoleon stood as a stark contrast to everything the directory was; strong, aristocratic, fair,
smart, financially stable, militarily strong etc, making his rise to power much easier.
Conclusion- conclude that it was the weaknesses of the directory. without his renowned military
reputation and his clear skill in leading his men in battle, he would not have risen to power in 1799.
It was a key component to his rise to power; however it is unlikely the Italian campaign would’ve had
that much impact if the Directory had been a stable, united government
2. Which of the following had a greater impact on Napoleon’s consolidation of power?
a. Constitutional changes
One could argue it was Napoleon’s constitutional changes, the most renowned being the New
constitution of Year VIII, that had the greatest impact on his consolidation of power.
The key concept underpinning Napoleon’s constitutional changes was that there was to be the
return of an elitist group, the notables, who would have control and political authority. These were
the highest paying tax men and included landowners, merchants, scholars, professionals, officials
and lawyers. Although this was likely to be unpopular as it was seen to be a return to some of the
structures of the Ancien Regime, it ensured that those surrounding Napoleon were incredibly loyal
to his cause, hence the re-emerging emphasis on aristocracy in government was effective at
consolidating Napoleon’s power.
The executive was made up of the First consul, the senate and council of state- all of which were
chosen by the first consul. The first consul was Napoleon, who appointed all ministers and initiated
all legislation. Therefore, his constitutional changes ensured he was in complete control of
government, clearly this had an impact on his consolidation of power as he had created a position
whereby he possessed more authority than Sieyes or Duco. Additionally, the consulship for life
ultimately reintroduced the hereditary principle into France, creating sufficient stability for the
Napoleonic dynasty and reduced the fragility that came with the regime hinging upon one man.
Legion of Honour- established in 1802, an elite student organisation created by Napoleon to bind
powerful men to his regime through a system of rewards and titles (his own nobility); ensured
support for the new constitution amongst high and influential people in society.
Plebiscite- created the idea of democracy in France through a vote for the person in power, however
he was the only one they could vote for. Despite this being dictatorship in disguise, it was a show of
popularity to the people which in turn increased his stability and legitimacy as leader of France.
His constitutional changes essentially provided sustenance to the superficial title in which he gained
following the Coup of Brumaire.
However, the constitution was complex, and despite having some democratic elements, it was
overall limited. The male population elected the communal list who chose the department list, who
then chose the leading Notables; clearly quite an inefficient method of nominating those in power. It
was not a structure that would create long lasting stability for Napoleon.
b. Religious reforms
On the other hand, one could argue it was Napoleon’s religious reforms that had a greater impact on
his consolidation of power. Firstly, he sought to end the religious conflict that had characterised the
terror period and decided to reintroduce Catholicism into France through the concordat with the
pope in 1801. Within this agreement, Napoleon re-established Catholicism as the religion of France
which afforded the people freedom of worship that had been stripped from them during the terror.
In return, the pope allowed Napoleon to appoint all the bishops in France and agreed that all priests
should take an oath of loyalty to Napoleon. The concordat was therefore pivotal in his consolidation
of power, as it was not only popular amongst the majority of France who still held religion in high
regard, but it also ensured he had the support and loyalty of the church. His subsequent control of
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