TREATY
CONVENTION
PROTOCOL
CONCORDAT
ACCORD
casus belli
casus foederis
demarche
modus vivendi
Napoleon & The Concordat |
Napoleon hoped not only to bring secure social peace by a settlement of the religious
problem, but also to gain a powerful social ally in the clergy, whom he intended to use to consolidate his control of power: he also
sought the immense popularity of achieving such a solution without breaking off (infringing) the land settlement of the Revolution.
Copyright © E.K.Bensah II 1998-1999
Napoleon's attitude
According to Ben Jones, author of Napoleon -- Man & Myth, Napoleon never viewed the situation from a religious viewpoint. Rather,
he was after security and co-operation of the priesthood who would consequently cease to be storm-trooper of the counter-revolution,
and instead help induce/persuade an atmosphere of social quietude among the people. In fact, an organized church underpinned the stability of a
hierarchical society: "Society cannot exist without inequality of wealth and this cannot exist without religion is what Napoleon observed in 1800.
He saw religion as a necessary expedient factor -- not in necessarily helping the people of France but, predominantly, in consolidating his power
by appeal to the populace. If what Marx said about religion being the opiate of the people was right, then one can only guess that Napoleon
derived from this axiom considerable pleasure, since it gave him free berth to pull the wool over the eyes of the French people, knowing fully well that if
religion were promulgated, then he would stand more of a chance of success in his plans.