Question

What was unique about the Napoleonic code, and what was its long-term impact on France and Europe?

Answer 1

The original Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des francais, or civil code of the French), was the French civil code, established at the behest of Napoléon. It entered into force on March 21, 1804. The Napoleonic code was the first legal code to be established in a country with a civil legal system. It was based on Roman law, and followed Justinian's Corpus Juris Civilis in dividing civil law into: 1.personal status; 2.property; 3.acquisition of property. The Napoleonic Code properly said dealt only with civil law issues; other codes were also published dealing with criminal law and commercial law. Even though the Napoleonic Code was not the first, it was the most influential one. (For a list of early codes, see here). It was adopted in many countries that were occupied by French forces during the Napoleonic Wars and thus formed the basis of the private law systems also of Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and their former colonies. Other codes with some influence in their own right were the Swiss, German and Austrian ones, but even there some influence of the French code can be felt, as the Napoleonic Code is considered the first sucessful codification. Thus, the civil law systems of the countries of modern Europe, with the exception of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia, and the Scandinavian countries have, to different degrees, been influenced by the Napoleonic Code. The Code has thus been the most permanent legacy of Napoleon.