Saturday, January 26, 2013

NAPOLEON VS HITLER : 'Napoleonic Code' VS 'Nights of Broken Glasses'

Napoleon was twenty years old(15th august 1769 - 5 may 1821)when French Revolution was being staged live (1789-1799)in France . He too staged a coup in 1899,& he later became the emperor of France for 11 years (1804-1815) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NapoleonNapoleon Bonaparte), Hitler ruled Germany for 12 years(1933-1945). but their difference in handling the situation were very different- the former is as yet admired as a promulgator and guardian of some noble laws & also as the best military strategist & the other is being treated with reproach.
Before 18th century throne & alter were in close association in France ( John McManners, The French Revolution and the Church, 5.).Prior to the French Revolution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution#cite_note-34) Roman Catholic Church was the largest land owner having 10% of the total land of the empire, the church was exempted from paying taxes to the govt, it was also entitled to collect a lithe of 10% from general population which would be distributed to the poor, but now after the French Revolution there was a meaningful shift of power from Roman Catholic Church to the State. the latter effect made some small minority of protestants happy as they were victims of discrimination by some catholic clergies. Enlightment thinkers like Voltaire helped fuel this resentment by denigrating the Catholic Church and destabilizing the French monarchy (Censer and Hunt, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution, 16).


After coming to power Hitler brought quick legal reforms in order to persecute Jews, communists, other liberal political opponents alike, he gave his Nazi Party members more privileges, he once said something at first but as it did not satisfy his nazi party supporters he changed his view so that it suited the interest of his party members .
On the other hand , a short time after coming to power in 1804 Napoleon brought about ‘French Civil Code’ more popularly called ‘Napoleonic Code’-which allowed freedom of religion, it also declared that he birth in any family will not confer any special privilege, govt. job would go to the best educated . This Code of legal reform was drafted rapidly by a commission of four eminent jurists and entered into force on the 21st of 1804. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_cod)
The Napoleonic Code exerted major influence on the promulgation of many civil laws in many countries around the world .. But the black Nazi laws are seen as inhuman laws in the present day wor