To what extent was Napoleonic rule beneficial to French society?

Napoleon's rule restored stability to France after over a decade of revolutionary fervor. In many respects, Napoleon confimed many of the advances of the French revolution: the Civil Code (1804) enshrined the equality of all Frenchmen before the law while the Concordat of 1801 guaranteed freedom of worship for the Catholic majority and the Protestant and Jewish minority. In addition, the establishment of the Banque de France restored economic stability to the country and maintained economic growth despite the wars.
On the other hand, the nearly constant state of war in which the country found itself in restricted economic growth in the country. Conscription reduced the available workforce and the increased taxation caused by mounting war expenses impacted the poorer strata of society. Furthermore, Napoleon's authoritarian leadership and curtailment of freedom of expression ran counter to the enlightenment ideals which sparked the French revolution.

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Answered by Shyam S. History tutor

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