Napoleon Bonaparte, Man of Peace

Napoleon and Europe
Musee de l'Armee
Hotel Nationale des Invalides
Paris
Until July 14

Just steps away from Napoleon's tomb in the Dome of the Invalides, the exhibition Napoleon and Europe is the largest organised in France in nearly 50 years.

Napoleon Bonaparte has deeply marked the history of Europe and the exhibition reflects the French emperor’s European ambitions between 1793 and 1815, providing a fresh analysis of his impact on war, politics, public administration, currency, propaganda and art.

More than 250 works of art, artifacts and documents on loan from more than 50 museums illustrate the story.

The French, of course, see Napoleon differently from the English. In France, his importance is seen in the way in which he used his power to bring stability to the nation. Napoleon saw the need to consolidate a society shaken by 10 years of political instability while ensuring the values and convictions of the Revolution were respected.

Napoleon, as First Consul, held the balance of power and established himself as a representative of the sovereigns of Europe, presenting himself, both internally and externally, as a man of peace.

Internally, he was seen as reinforcing the executive in order to put an end to political instability. He fought against banditry and insurrections, and re-established religious freedoms.

Brought peace to Europe

Napoleon is regarded as having ended the wars that had seen France opposing two successive coalitions in Europe since 1792. He brought peace to Europe, concluding treaties with the Austria, the Kingdom of Naples and of the Two Sicilies, the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire.

While the exhibition documents Napoleon's military achievements, it places a great deal of importance on his political and social accomplishments.

As early as the time of the Consulate, Napoleon had undertaken major reforms in order to construct a robust state with healthy finances, a competent administration, a disciplined police force and an efficient judicial system.

Napoleon wanted to increase the efficiency of the administration and to facilitate the lives of the populations involved. To rationalise, unify, clarify, but also to pacify – these were the aims for the reforms he implemented throughout the territory of the Empire and which he exported to the allied countries.

Great attention was given to the infrastructures dedicated to the circulation of goods, people and information, for civil as much as military reasons. He spent vast sums on improving ports, canals, bridges, telegraph lines, lighthouses and roads.

Through the unification of weights and measures, the dissemination of the French language, the creation of professional administrations and through his huge project for the codification and unification of the laws, Napoleon permanently modified the face of France and of Europe.

Stacks of his Codes

There are stacks of his Codes is the exhibition – The Penal Code, The Code of Commerce and the Civic Code. While some of these applied to whole countries, there were separate codes for places like Lucca and Milan.

One constant can be seen, however. While his stated intention was to disseminate the progress of the Revolution, Napoleon’s Europe was organised by and for the benefit of the French.

The exhibition, however, is not totally in awe of Napoleon and has sections about his ruthless occupation of Europe and the uprisings which occurred in Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as his disastrous final 100 days.

There are also a number of images of Napoleon which appeared in English papers. These are mainly by the English cartoonist George Cruickshank. Several of his works are paired with French images of the same event.

His coup d’etat of November 1799 is celebrated in a painting by Jacob Sablet showing the drama of the event, but this is contrasted with Cruickshank’s view of the rabble which is entitled The Corsican Crocodile dissolving the Council of Frogs.

While the exhibition features some of the major paintings and marble busts, there are also a number remarkable objects which have been brought together, including a letter from Goethe accepting his Legion d’honneur and the actual score of Beethoven’s third symphony of 1803 which he dedicated to Napoleon.

At the centre of the exhibition is a group of uniformed mannequins which create an eerie impression. In one case is Napoleon's dress uniform facing the field marshal’s uniform of the Emperor of Austria which he wore at the battle of Auzterlitz and that of a general of the Russian army.

But, hovering behind Napoleon, slightly elevated above him, is the uniform of his nemesis, Nelson. This is not just any uniform, though, it is the one the English admiral was killed in when he commanded the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Above the right shoulder is the bullet hole where the French sniper has shot him. This brings a real sense of the personal tragedy of a life lost, but also of all the lives taken.