Throughout his book 'The Prince,' by Niccolò Machiavelli nurtures the idea that a ruler should be both loved and feared, of which it is better to be feared. "Love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for the advantage; but fear preserves you be a dread of punishment which never fails". This quality can be seen inherent in Napoleon. Although Napoleon made efforts to be accepted by his people, he was not intimidated or afraid to exhibit his authority. Napoleon was by no means universally loved. In his book 'Napoleon 1', Albert Guerard's describes how on Christmas Eve, 1800, Napoleon "was nearly killed by a bomb planted by conspirators" who wanted to "restore the old Bourbon line of kings." Also, his tax placed on the nobility, the richest two percent of the population, was not received amicably by them.
             Several of Napoleon's actions clearly resound Machiavelli's belief that "the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people." This is particularly evident in his stance on religion and his creation of the Napoleonic Code. As stated in Albert Guerard's book 'Napoleon 1', the Napoleonic Code included "the abolition of privileges, the equality of all french men before the law...the sovereign rights of the propertied classes." With the institution of the Napoleonic Code, Napoleon was creating a law system that treated that treated every individual equally, hence pleasing the majority of people.
             In regards to religion, whatever new land he conquered, Napoleon adopted the religion of that land in order to gain the acceptance of the general population. Machiavellis position on keeping faith only when it is beneficial but otherwise to discard it can be seen manifest in Napoleons rule. Admitting that "the majority of France is Catholic," Napoleon made Catholicism the official religion of France and also signed a Concordat with the Pope. This Concordat enabled him to...