ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with five aspects of the subject: the evolving structure of Napoleon's civil government from the republican legacy of the Revolution to his own Imperial departure; his treatment of opposition groups, especially in the earlier years; his Concordat with Pope Pius VII, which at first seemed a major act of reconciliation with the Catholic Church, but which bore the seeds of future discord from the moment of its promulgation; his attempt to restore order and stability to public finances; and his major reform of the judicial system, not least through ambitious plans to codify the laws of France. Napoleon's Concordat with the pope in 1801 has often been seen as one of his more conciliatory and popular acts during the early Consulate. The Concordat included important statements on the Revolutionary land settlement, and these need particular attention, since they affected a large number of French citizens.
