Napoleon and the use of propaganda
Propaganda refers to the use of communication with the goal of having a specific impact on the audience or to further personal agendas. It differs from reliable news and information as it contains information that is not objective but is intended to shape up specific perceptions and evoke emotions based on biased data. Throughout history, governments, organizations, lobby groups and other organizations have relied on propaganda as a way of controlling the information that their audience can access. Although there are measures in place to help members of the public discern propaganda from reliable news, its influence in society has helped leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte to spread their influence and implement their policies and beliefs as a tool to gain more power and control.
During Napoleon’s rule, imperial France was yet to establish a ministry of information to protect people from misleading information spread in the form of propaganda. Napoleon played a major part in the emergence of propaganda as a tool to influence people’s attitudes and beliefs as well as put forward personal beliefs and opinions about constructs that governed society[1]. Under his rule, Napoleon relied on propaganda to influence how people viewed him, his rule and also as a way to control the information that the public had access to especially regarding his rule. Propaganda was channeled through different avenues, the most common being artistic paintings that were designed to capture certain events in history[2]. Majority of the art produced during Napoleon’s rule reveals how he relied on propaganda to achieve a certain impact or influence people to support ideas and beliefs introduced by napoleon. Although the pieces of art produced during this time reflected events that actually took place, the art is presented in such a way that it draws attention to specific areas that favored Napoleon’s rise to power.
The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon 1 and the Crowning of the Empress Josephine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804 is an ideal example of how art was used as a tool to spread propaganda rather than an actual representation of events that transpired[3]. The painting was done by Jacques Louis David in 1804 to commemorate the coronation of Napoleon and the empress. Napoleon’s success in the use of propaganda through his rise to power is mainly as a result of his understanding of how society functions[4]. He was aware of the influence that influential people in society had in swaying public opinion and used it to further fuel his agenda. Such was the case when he opted to use David, the official painter during the French revolution to capture the coronation ceremony.
David was renowned for his attention to detail and ability to create a vivid image of events as they transpired through his art. By selecting David to commemorate the coronation ceremony, Napoleon was able to attach the artists credibility to any piece produced[5]. People had come to value David’s work during Napoleon’s rule and his involvement with Napoleon’s would make it easier to convince people that everything depicted in the art is a reflection of actual events that took place on that day[6]. Reliance on a renowned artist also ensured that the piece of work presented to the public would capture everything Napoleon wanted to communicate through the piece of propaganda art created.
The painting took two years to complete and it comprises of large figures that are life-size in nature and are made up of the people present in the Notre Dame Cathedral during Napoleon Bonaparte’s coronation. The Painting is among the largest pieces of art in Louvre and its draw’s attention to Napoleon throughout the events that take place during the ceremony[7]. Napoleon occupies the middle of the painting as he holds a crown capturing the moment, he was about to place the crown on his wife’s head. Napoleon is dressed in a coronation robe similar to those worn by roman emperors and Pope Pius is seen seated to his right-hand side while Josephine kneels on a pillow as she awaits the crown to be placed on her head[8]. Napoleon’s mother is seated on a chair in the center of the painting wearing a white dress while napoleon’s brothers, Joseph and Louis are seen in the foreground wearing black hats. Napoleon’s sisters are on the right of the brothers and they are easily identified through the identical mode of dressing[9]. Hortense, Josephine’s daughter and Julie Clary, Joseph Bonaparte’s wife are also present in the painting.
Although the painting was designed to capture the events that took place during the coronation ceremony, its use as a tool for propaganda is evident in the various alterations made to portray Napoleon’s family as a united front[10]. Although the images depicted in the painting are fairly accurate, not everything in the piece is true and thus proving its use as a tool for propaganda rather than a reflection of historical events. Napoleon’s mother for instance is well represented in the art and she is seen seated in a central position[11]. This is despite the fact that Letizia was in Rome when the coronation took place and did not attend despite what is portrayed in the painting. Napoleon’s brother Joseph was not present during the ceremony as well despite his appearance in the painting. Napoleon fully understood the impact that public opinion has and opted to include the missing members of his family into the portrait[12]. Since a coronation is an important event, the absence of his mother and brother went against the united front that Napoleon sought to portray during his rule. The decision to include his mother and brother may have been influenced by his desire to convince the public that he had full support from his family and in so doing, urge the same loyalty and support from the general public.
Pope Pius VII involvement in the coronation ceremony is also misrepresented in favor of Napoleon. Although the priest is presented as a willing participant charged with blessing the coronation, he was forced to attend the event because failure to do so would result to him facing serious repercussion[13]. From the painting however, members of the audience who were not aware of the conditions under which the Pope attended the event may be led into believing that the pope fully supported Napoleon and willingly attended the coronation ceremony[14]. Similar to the inclusion of Napoleon’s mother and brother, the pope’s presence is used to present the same united front that Napoleon sought to use during his rise to power[15]. The piece presented false information that helped to gain support for napoleon and his rule as it presented him as a leader supported by his family and also the church.
Image: The Coronation of the Empire by Jacques Louis David, 1804
Napoleon’s ability to use propaganda to his advantage is greatly attributed to the various victories he enjoyed in war despite the odds being against him. He had successfully discovered the most successful approaches to use art in a bit to garner support and get people to shar his opinions and ideologies. He however ensured that the art used to capture certain events always presented him in a positive light, regardless of whether the art reflected a moment of victory or great loss[16]. A good example is the piece The French Campaign by Ernest Meissonier that was painted fifty years after the French Campaign. Meissonier was selected to work on the painting due to his ability to pay attention to detail especially when portraying realism of uniforms worn by soldiers.
Although pieces of art that captures history is supposed to reflect actual events and how they transpired, the artist drew attention away from the fighting and action taking place and focused on emotions displayed by the soldiers and the figure they depicted after the war. The artist was able to create a sense of loneliness and despondency but only on the soldiers[17]. From the painting, Napoleon comes off as determined yet aware of the attitude of the soldier’s morale as they make their way through dead winter landscapes that are muddy and difficult to navigate. The troops on the other hand appear to harbor great doubt and are pulpable compared to Napoleon who is isolated from the figures and exhumes confidence despite the state of their march[18]. The piece of art successfully presents Napoleon as a leader that does not despair even in the face of adversities[19]. It communicates the message that Napoleon has the ability to regain his composure and lead his soldiers to victory even if their faith and courage waivers.
Napoleon often attributed victories to his leadership superiority and the piece demonstrates how he shifted blame from failures in his leadership to the soldiers. Despite having to overcome challenges when in battle such as fighting on muddy terrain, Napoleon uses art to mislead the audience into thinking that the loss was attributed to the soldier’s attitudes[20]. Napoleon presented himself as a leader with unwavering courage and attributed this to his success. The decision to focus on the soldier’s emotions and attitudes may have been used as a strategy to get people to question their commitment to the cause and in so doing, shift the blame for losses from the leaders to the soldiers.
Image: The French Campaign by Ernest Meissonier
Conclusion
Napoleon enjoyed various military achievements during his rise to power. Although his campaign ended with the allied emerging victorious, Napoleon had subjected them to various defeats as they attempted to invade France. His ability to sway public opinion in his favor through propaganda art made it easier for him to convince soldiers to go into battle as well as influence positive attitudes that assured them of a victory despite the odds stacked against them. Although some of the information contained in the art was falsified to fit Napoleon’s agenda, its ability to sway public opinion and people’s attitude towards Napoleon and his rule greatly contributed to his rise to power and influence during his rule.
References
Ingram J, (2016) “A brief history of propaganda during conflict: Lessons for counter- terrorism strategic communications” International Centre for Counter Terrorism, retrieved from, http://icct.nl/app/uploads/2016/06/ICCT-Haroro-Ingram-Brief- History-Propaganda-June-2016-3.pdf
National Gallery of Victoria, (2016) “Propaganda: Symbols of evolution” Melbourne Winter Masterpieces, retrieved from, https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/napoleon/art-and- design/propaganda.html
Abate, Jason S., (2015) "Napoleonic Propaganda: Rationalization for War and Control of an Empire". Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects
David L, (1804) “The Coronation of the Emperor” Harvard Arts Museum
Hanley W, (2016) “The genesis of Napoleonic Propaganda” Gutenberg Press, retrieved from, http://www.gutenberg-e.org/haw01/main.html
Knighton A, (2017) “Napoleon: The great general also used propaganda to boost his popularity” War History Online, retrieved from, https://www.warhistoryonline.com/napoleon/napoleon-used-media-boost- greatness.html
Markham D, (2016) “The revolution, Napoleon, and education” International Napoleonic Society. Retrieved from, https://www.napoleon- series.org/research/society/c_education.html
Forest A, (2005) “Propaganda and the legitimation of power in Napoleonic France” Oxford Academic, retrieved from, https://academic.oup.com/fh/article- abstract/18/4/426/591574?redirectedFrom=PDF
Clayton, Tim, and Sheila O'Connell. (2015). Bonaparte and the British: prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon. British Museum Press
Raybone S, (2020) “How Napoleon used photography as propaganda to hide the horror of his new Paris” The Conversation, retrieved from, https://theconversation.com/how- napoleon-iii-used-photography-as-propaganda-to-hide-the-horror-of-his-new-paris- 143506
Martyris N, (2018) “Napoleon’s chamber pot: Propaganda and fake news” The Paris Review, retrieved from, https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/02/26/napoleons-chamber- pot-propaganda-fake-news/
[1] Ingram J, (2016) “A brief history of propaganda during conflict: Lessons for counter-terrorism strategic communications” International Centre for Counter Terrorism
[2] National Gallery of Victoria, (2016) “Propaganda: Symbols of evolution” Melbourne Winter Masterpieces
[3] David L, (1804) “The Coronation of the Emperor” Harvard Arts Museum
[4] Hanley W, (2016) “The genesis of Napoleonic Propaganda” Gutenberg Press.
[5] Knighton A, (2017) “Napoleon: The great general also used propaganda to boost his popularity” War History Online
[6] Hanley W, (2016) “The genesis of Napoleonic Propaganda” Gutenberg Press.
[7] David L, (1804) “The Coronation of the Emperor” Harvard Arts Museum
[8] ibid
[9] ibid
[10] Markham D, (2016) “The revolution, Napoleon, and education” International Napoleonic Society
[11] Markham D, (2016) “The revolution, Napoleon, and education” International Napoleonic Society
[12] Forest A, (2005) “Propaganda and the legitimation of power in Napoleonic France” Oxford Academic
[13] ibid
[14] Clayton, Tim, and Sheila O'Connell. (2015). Bonaparte and the British: prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon. British Museum Press
[15] ibid
[16] Clayton, Tim, and Sheila O'Connell. (2015). Bonaparte and the British: prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon. British Museum Press
[17] Raybone S, (2020) “How Napoleon used photography as propaganda to hide the horror of his new Paris” The Conversation
[18] Meissonier E, (1814) “The French Campaign” The Metropolitan Museum of Art
[19] ibid
[20] Martyris N, (2018) “Napoleon’s chamber pot: Propaganda and fake news” The Paris Review,
