After assuming office as the First Consul, Napoleon decided to carry out important social and economic reforms. He fully realized that the main cause of the French revolution was not political but the prevailing social and religious inequalities in the French society. He, therefore, set upon assuring his subjects social and religious equality and introduced a number of reforms for this purpose.
At this time he realized that freedom had been badly abused by the common people during the period of revolution and hence it would be suicidal to permit liberty to the people. He, therefore, asserted that what the French need above all things is equality, not liberty.
Some of the important reforms introduced by Napoleon were as follows:
In the first instance he considerably increased central control over local government. The elected officials like Prefect, sub-prefects and Mayor who were in charge of various units were directly placed under the Central Government. This resulted in resolution of order even though it undermined the self-government in the country.
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Secondly, he established a Legion of Honour consisting of 6000 members. These members were appointed on the basis of their merit and generally only those persons who had served the nation or society were made its members. He also took a decision to return the property of the nobles and clergy which had been taken from them during the period of Revolution.
Thirdly, he tried to enlist the sympathy of all sections of society by doing away with party distinctions. He treated the emigres and nonjuring clergy with great sympathy and threw open all offices to the royalists and Girondists as well, provided they acquiesces in the existing system.
Fourthly, Napoleon tried to provide a uniform civil code, in place of large variety of perplexing laws. For this task he utilized the services of legislative, judicial and other experts. As a result of this code people were assured rapid, cheap and reliable justice. It perpetuated most of the gains of the Revolution.
Fifthly, Napoleon tried to improve the economic condition of the country. He set up Bank of France in 1800 which greatly facilitated trade and commerce. Hayes describes this as one of the soundest financial institutions in the world. Napoleon also tried to improve the structure of the country as well as the finance of the government. He sought to check evils like black-marketing, speculation, profiteering etc and punished economic offenders very severely.
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Sixthly, Napoleon tried to use religion as an instrument for the welfare of the country. He said “The people must have a religion and that religion must be under the control of the government…People say that I am a Papist, I am nothing, I was a Mohammedan in Egypt. I shall be a Catholic in France for the good of the people.”
In 1801 he entered into an agreement with the Pope which is popularly knows as Concordat. As a result of this agreement Catholicism was recognized as the religion of the great majority of the French people. It authorized Napoleon to confiscate the religious estates, destroy monasteries and give donations to the clergy.
The agreement also authorized the government to frame regulations relating to the church with a view to ensuring social security and order. As a result of this agreement the freedom of the clergymen in France was considerably curtailed and they could not leave the country without the prior permission of the First Consul.
Seventhly, Napoleon paid great attention to the spread of education. His education policy was based on three principles viz. loyalty to the crown; faith in Christianity and dutiful altitude towards the rules of the department of education.
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He set up several primary, secondary and grammar schools which were aided by public funds and worked under the supervision of the government. He also set up institutions for higher education and technical education. He also set up a university in 1808 for the maintenance of universal standards of education in the country. Napoleon personally took keen interest in the appointment of high officials in the educational department.
Finally, Napoleon also paid attention to public works and got several roads, bridges, dams constructed. He not only repaired the old canals but also spread an elaborate network of canals for the purpose of irrigation.
He also expanded the ports of Toulon and Hanover. He also renovated and refurnished royal palaces like St. Cloud, Fontainbleau and Rambouillet and made Paris the most attractive place and centre for fashion.
On account of these reforms carried out by Napoleon he h often described as the Creator of Modern France.