Final answer:
Napoleon used violence and strict control to suppress dissent during his rule, commanding loyalty from his troops through personal leadership and material incentives. He enforced censorship and practiced authoritarian governance, including brutality during military retreats, to maintain power and manage his empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout history, violence has been used to suppress dissent and resolve conflicts, often with the strong imposing their will through brutality. Napoleon, in his rise to power, suppressed dissent through a combination of military success, propaganda, and strict control. His ability to command loyalty from his troops stemmed from his personal leadership in battles, living like a soldier, and providing concrete incentives such as paying his army in silver. Alongside these measures, he enforced censorship of the press and displayed authoritarian tendencies by excluding women from political life and demanding obedience from his subjects.
Napoleon's approach to governance followed that of successful conflict resolution through force. He disregarded the democratic impulses of the revolution and focused single-mindedly on personal power and control. The use of violence to suppress dissent was intrinsic to his rule, as evident from his actions during the retreat from Jaffa and his micro-management of the empire he created.
The promotion of pro-Napoleonic propaganda and imperial censorship alongside the brutal methods used to maintain power were key strategies in Napoleon's rule. He created a perception of invincibility and compliance that reinforced his authoritarian rule over the French empire. This suppression through violence was fundamentally at odds with the revolutionary and democratic ideals that initially fueled the French Revolution.