The Enlightement was a period of great chance and big science advance, this era brought many brilliant minds as Copernicus, Issac Newton, Galileo Galilei, etc. This time took place from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, it is called like that because human intellect was illuminated after the "dark ages".
The Enlightement underpinned the French Revolution because theories were replaced by science. Regarding Napoleon, he took the ideals of French Revolution, put the to work in a modified way and understood how his forces surpassed traditional European armies. He also created an intelligent network all with spies over Europe.
Napoleon as ruler of France was espectacular and many admired him, his ideas inspired in Galileo took him from speculation to experimentation, and that's why the historians classified him as "The Enlightement Emperor ".
Because Napoleon or Tyrant or Dictator, supported many ideas of the Enlightenment and begin instituting systems and titles from the monarchy,historians later classified him as a Despot and his policies were called Napoleonic Civil Code,1804 or The Napoleonic Code.
It was the first legal code to be established in an European country with a civil legal system.
It influenced the laws of many countries formed during and after Napoleonic Wars.
The Napoleonic Code influenced developing countries outside Europe,especially in the Middle East,attempting to modernize their countries through legal reforms.
These codes gave post revolutionary France its first coherent set of laws concerning property,colonial affairs,the family and individual rights.
Napoleon centralized the government,putting control firmly in the hands of the national government.
The overall goal of the Napoleonic Code was to reform French law in line with the principles of Revolution.
The Code with its stress on clearly written and accessible laws,was a major step in replacing the previous patchwork of feudal laws.
This Code gave right to equality to all men.
Napoleon's initial goal was to stabilize the government of France.France was in turmoil after the revolution.Napoleon did stabilize the government and implement judicial reforms to increase Democratic reforms.He also planned to protect France from foreign countries opposed to a France without a monarchy.
