Text/History Talk
Editor/History Talk
preface
Napoleon led the establishment of the First French Empire and led the French army to conquer Europe, and was one of the greatest military commanders in French history.
He was both a gifted military commander and a highly controversial politician.
He was a very decisive and executing man, as well as an in-depth knowledge of war tactics and tactics, which enabled him to lead the army to victory in many wars.
He led France through the transition from a dynastic system to a modern nation-state, and carried out a series of internal reforms, such as the establishment of centralized government institutions, the introduction of a legal popularization system, and the reform of the tax system.
What we are going to discuss today is how his policy of establishing centralized government institutions differs from the centralized policy of the Qin Dynasty.
Centralization of two countries
The centralized government institutions established by Napoleon mainly refer to the French government institutions of the Napoleonic period.
Under Napoleon, he sought to re-establish a strong centralized state to consolidate power and control administrative and military power throughout the country.
He introduced a series of political, legal and administrative reforms to ensure the stability and efficiency of the country.
Among them, the most famous reform is the reform of administrative divisions.
Napoleon divided France into 80 provinces, each with a governor responsible for administrative, judicial, and military matters.
In addition, he established a series of central government agencies, such as the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance, to strengthen the central government's control over local governments.
Napoleon also enacted a series of laws and regulations to guarantee the stability and security of the country.
He promulgated the Civil Code, a law that regulated the rights and duties of the French and became the basis of many national laws.
In addition, he promulgated a series of military laws and regulations to ensure the efficiency and loyalty of the army.
The centralized government institutions promulgated by Napoleon were a system with the central government at its core and the goal of strengthening political, legal and administrative control, which laid a solid foundation for the stability and efficiency of France.
After a preliminary understanding of Napoleon's centralization, let's take a look at Qin Shi Huang's centralized power strategy.
The centralized policy established by Qin Shi Huang was an important period in Chinese history, known as the Qin Dynasty.
During this period, Qin Shi Huang established a highly centralized political system through a series of political, military, cultural and other measures.
In order to be able to strengthen the centralization of power, Qin Shi Huang took a series of measures to strengthen the control of the central power.
He abolished the vassal states, established the county system, set up three dukes and nine secretaries, and established various departments and agencies of the central government.
He also established a unified legal and monetary system, introduced a common standard of writing and weights and measures, and strengthened the economic and cultural unity of the country.
Second, Qin Shi Huang also implemented a series of centralized policies in the military field.
He formed a powerful army and strengthened the unified command and management of the army. He also introduced a system of military service and conscription, and regarded the army as an important force of the state.
The centralized policy established by Qin Shi Huang was an important period in Chinese history, during which Qin Shi Huang established a highly centralized political system through a series of political, military, cultural and other measures.
Qin Shi Huang took a series of measures to strengthen the control of the central power.
He abolished the vassal states, established the county system, set up three dukes and nine secretaries, and established various departments and agencies of the central government.
He also established a unified legal and monetary system, introduced a common standard of writing and weights and measures, and strengthened the economic and cultural unity of the country.
Second, Qin Shi Huang also implemented a series of centralized policies in the military field.
He formed a powerful army and strengthened the unified command and management of the army.
He also introduced a system of military service and conscription, and regarded the army as an important force of the state.
In addition, Qin Shi Huang also carried out large-scale infrastructure construction, building large-scale projects such as the Great Wall and Lingqu to strengthen the country's defense and transportation capabilities.
He also carried out land system reforms, introduced the system of equal fields, and strengthened the management and control of agricultural production.
The centralized policy established by Qin Shi Huang was mainly based on measures such as strengthening the control of the central power, strengthening the unified command and management of the national army, implementing a unified legal and monetary system, and carrying out large-scale infrastructure construction and land system reform.
These measures laid a solid foundation for the development of centralized power in China's history.
The difference between the two types of centralization
Napoleon's centralized policy focused more on the unity of law and system.
He implemented a series of legal and institutional reforms, such as issuing legal documents such as the Civil Code and the Commercial Code, establishing courts and procuratorial bodies at all levels to safeguard the implementation of the law, and implementing the system of universal suffrage.
Qin Shi Huang, on the other hand, paid attention to the unity of administration and military, and his policies mainly focused on administrative divisions, personnel appointments and dismissals, military establishment, etc., and implemented measures such as the county system and the implementation of official selection examinations.
Second, the centralized policy established by Napoleon was mainly to achieve domestic political, economic and social modernization, while Qin Shi Huang's centralized policy focused more on unifying the country, maintaining social stability and strengthening national defense.
Napoleon's policy focused on modernization in culture, education, science and technology, and industry, such as the establishment of industrial schools, the introduction of the system of weights and measures, and the introduction of official selection examinations.
Qin Shi Huang, on the other hand, focused more on strengthening control over border peoples, strengthening national defense forces, and enhancing the country's military and economic strength through large-scale projects such as building the Great Wall and connecting the northern and southern water systems.
The centralized policies of Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang also differed in political systems.
Napoleon established the imperial system and became the emperor of France himself, while Qin Shi Huang directly controlled the political power of the entire country by replacing the status of the princes.
The historical background of Napoleon's centralized policy is the profound influence of the French Revolution, and he tried to modernize the country and achieve social progress by reforming legal, political, and economic aspects.
Qin Shi Huang's centralized policy was implemented in order to unify the six countries and establish a unified centralized state against the historical background of the division of princes and constant wars.
Secondly, the cultural traditions and social systems of Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang were also different.
Napoleon implemented Western modernization concepts and systems, emphasizing individual rights and equality and freedom, while Qin Shi Huang practiced traditional Chinese culture and thought, attaching importance to collectivism and absolute monarchy.
Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang also ruled differently.
Napoleon established centralized power through military conquest and political reform, while Qin Shi Huang used coercive means such as book burning to pit Confucianism, unifying the written language, and minting coins to consolidate central power.
Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang had differences in establishing centralized policies, but there were also similarities.
Both are committed to strengthening the control of the central government and implementing a series of measures to ensure unity and stability in the political, economic, cultural and other fields.
Both undertook similar administrative division reforms, dividing smaller administrative regions and establishing officials and institutions to administer them.
During the Napoleonic period, France was divided into 80 provinces, each with a governor. During the Qin Shi Huang period, the county system was adopted, and county officials and institutions were set up for management.
In addition, both have taken a series of measures to implement centralized policies, such as strengthening control over local governments, developing common legal and monetary systems, strengthening the unified command and management of the military, and implementing land system reform.
Although Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang differed in era, background, country, and culture, they both pursued a centralized policy and took similar measures to achieve this goal.
Both Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang achieved centralization by strengthening the control of the central power and strengthening the unified command of the national army.
They all regard the army as an important force of the country and have taken a series of measures to build a strong army and strengthen the unified command and management of the army.
Both implemented large-scale infrastructure construction, such as Napoleon built many roads, bridges, canals, ports and other infrastructure, while Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall, Lingqu and other large-scale projects.
These projects not only strengthened the country's defense and transportation capabilities, but also promoted economic and cultural exchanges and development.
In the process of implementing the centralized policy, Napoleon and Qin Shi Huang not only adopted similar measures and policies, but also made remarkable achievements in politics, economy and culture.
The achievement of two centralized government agencies
Napoleon's centralized policy had a profound impact on the development of European political systems.
Napoleon introduced many modernization measures on the continent, such as banking reform, tax system reform, and the establishment of a public education system, which contributed to the modernization of Europe's economy, culture, and society.
The code promulgated by Napoleon contained many provisions protecting the rights of the individual, which was a great advance for European society at that time and laid the foundation for the subsequent democratization process in Europe.
He emphasized the characteristics and culture of each nation and encouraged national pride and self-identity, which was a progressive idea for Europe at that time and provided theoretical support for the rise of nationalism in various countries.
Napoleon also advocated universal education, establishing many secondary and vocational schools to encourage people to receive education.
These measures have promoted educational reform in Europe and improved the quality and literacy of the people.
The code promulgated by Napoleon was the first complete civil code in Europe, providing important examples and enlightenment for the construction of the legal system in Europe.
This is of great historical significance to the legal system construction in European countries.
Napoleon advocated the development of science and technology and innovated in many fields.
He advocated the use of new technologies and materials, which promoted industrialization and scientific and technological progress in Europe.
He promulgated a series of social welfare policies, such as the pension system and the medical insurance system, which improved the people's living standards and promoted social harmony and stability.
Napoleon's conquests promoted contacts and exchanges between European countries and strengthened economic, cultural and political interaction between European countries.
The period of Qin Shi Huang is an ancient historical period with limited historical materials, so its impact on the world may be more difficult to assess and verify than that of modern historical figures such as Napoleon.
However, some of the beneficial effects of the centralized policy established by Qin Shi Huang can still be discussed from the following aspects.
The centralized policy established by Qin Shi Huang was the first attempt in Chinese history to achieve nationwide centralization, which led to the transformation of Chinese feudal society into a centralized society, laying the foundation for the later development of Chinese history.
Qin Shi Huang promoted economic exchanges and unification of various regions by establishing standard systems of weights and measures, currency, and writing, laying the foundation for China's economic development.
Qin Shi Huang took a series of measures to strengthen the defense of the border and protect the country's security.
At the same time, he also vigorously promoted foreign exchanges, sending envoys to foreign countries to promote exchanges and contacts between China and the outside world.
Qin Shi Huang advocated the idea of rule of law and created a legal system, which improved and developed China's legal system and laid the foundation for the later construction of China's legal system.
The author's opinion
The centralization policy requires a power balance mechanism to prevent excessive concentration and abuse of power, and at the same time needs institutional guarantees to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens.
The centralization policy relies heavily on institution-building and a sound legal system, which helps to ensure the fairness and stability of the government.
The centralized policy requires maintaining internal stability while paying attention to external exchanges and balances to avoid conflicts with the outside world.
The centralization approach has its advantages and disadvantages.
We should learn from the useful experience, and at the same time, we need to establish a power balance mechanism and guarantee system on the basis of centralized power, so as to achieve better national development and the protection of citizens' rights.
bibliography
- "Napoleon and the Transformation of Europe" by Alexander Grab, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2003.
- "The Political Economy of Napoleon's Reforms" by Daron Acemoglu, published in the Journal of Political Economy in 2008.
- "The Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty: A Comparative Study" by Li Kai, published by the Chinese University Press in 2019.
- "Legalism and the Formation of the Chinese Empire" by Yuri Pines, published by the University of Hawaii Press in 2003.