[War & Business] Napoleon's Censorship

A satirical caricature of Napoleon drawn in 1805 by British political cartoonist James Gillray. It depicts then British Prime Minister William Pitt (left) and Napoleon Bonaparte (right) dividing the globe between them. [Image source= University of Washington Digital Library]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] In 1806, under Napoleon's Continental Blockade, all British products were banned from being imported into Europe, but there was one exception. That was none other than newspapers published in Britain. It is said that Napoleon would skim through newspapers imported from London every morning, reading public opinion and critical articles about himself in Europe to refine his policies.

Although newspapers existed in Paris at the time, due to Napoleon's strict censorship policies, only a few pro-government media outlets remained while all others disappeared. After the French Revolution, there were about 70 newspaper companies in Paris, but following Napoleon's rise to power, they began to vanish one by one, and by 1806, all except four government-run media outlets were shut down. Since the sharp critical articles in British newspapers could not be found at all in French newspapers, Napoleon himself had no choice but to obtain and read British newspapers whenever he was curious about the direction of public opinion.

Napoleon, a leader very sensitive to approval ratings, would become furious whenever articles opposing his policies appeared, claiming they were all fake news and demanding the closure of the respective newspapers. So much so that even while on the battlefield, he sent a letter to Joseph Fouch?, the Minister of Police, instructing, "Newspapers criticizing me must be receiving bribes from Britain, and their printing presses should be pulled out and smashed."

Minister Fouch? fulfilled his wish by leaving only pro-government newspapers that unconditionally praised Napoleon's policies and eliminating all others, but Napoleon's anxiety only grew. He became completely unable to know public opinion about the side effects of his policies or the ongoing wars. Subsequently, he even exhibited paranoid behavior, fearing that his subordinates or citizens might be criticizing him behind his back.

Ultimately, in 1811, before departing for the Russian campaign, Napoleon passed a law prohibiting the publication of any printed or written materials in France without state approval. Along with this, secret police were deployed throughout France to summarily execute anyone who criticized him. As a result, the Russian campaign, which mobilized the entire national power of France, was carried out solely at Napoleon's discretion without any policy verification, ultimately leading to his downfall.

The story of Napoleon's downfall intertwined with newspaper censorship became a turning point for all countries to emphasize the independence of the press. It clearly demonstrated that regimes that shut their ears to voices of criticism, no matter how powerful, can collapse instantly. Politicians currently advocating the so-called ‘Media Punishment Law’ amid political controversies are encouraged to take Napoleon's censorship as a mirror.