207k views
2 votes
According to Metternich, how did Napoleon treat his sisters and wives?

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

Napoleon's treatment of his sisters and wives, according to Metternich, was opportunistic, aiming to secure political power and a royal lineage. He valued family loyalty and obedience over revolutionary ideals of liberty and democracy, as evidenced by the strategic marriages and placements of his family members in power.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Metternich, Napoleon's treatment of his sisters and wives could be seen as opportunistic and indifferent to the principles of revolutionary France. Napoleon divorced his wife Josephine de Beauharnais when she did not produce a male heir and married Marie-Louise of Austria to secure a royal lineage. This shift away from revolutionary principles towards traditional monarchical values caused distrust and alienated some of his subjects. Additionally, his actions of excluding women from the political community and making them the legal subjects of their husbands show a disregard for women's autonomy and democratic values.

Napoleon positioned his family members as rulers in conquered territories to strengthen his power, including marriages such as his wayward sister's marriage to the Italian prince Camillo Borghese. This action was primarily designed to bolster Napoleon's dreams of a pan-European dynasty and support his political endeavors.

Mettternich believed the best way to ensure stability in Europe post-Napoleon was to restore traditional monarchies, which would counteract the revolutionary and Napoleonic influences of democracy and individual liberty, those being values for which Napoleon himself showed little regard.

User HardcoreGamer
by
8.4k points