Napoleon only defended the ideals of the French Revolution because he wanted to ensure and strengthen his own power. During his rise to power, Napoleon faithfully adhered to the ideals. In his speech to his troops, Napoleon declared: “We wage war as generous enemies and we only wish to crush the tyrants who enslave [the Italian people]” (Document 1). He tells them to be respectful to other countries, to give them the rights they are entitled to enjoy. This follows Locke's Enlightenment ideas that everyone has inherent rights that cannot be taken away. A supporter of equal rights, he gained popularity among the French people. Over time, Napoleon used these ideals to increase and solidify his power. Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques Louis David (Document 4) correctly illustrates Napoleon's France. In this painting, Napoleon, dressed in breeches and a sophisticated military uniform, rides a horse, holding the reins loosely but firmly, looking majestic. The horse is strong thanks to the visible muscles of its legs. On closer inspection, the horse's eyes are too big and wild and its mouth is wide open. The horse symbolized France as a whole at a time when everything was chaotic, with daily beheadings and constant fears of invasion. Napoleon kept France under absolute control while granting enough freedoms to the people. France was a republic in name only. During this period, the equality of the French was assured, provided they respected the law, the Napoleonic Code (Document 9), which unified the French legal system under a single set of laws. Meritocracy was instilled and schools were established to educate people, because in Napoleon's France, people acquired jobs based on their skills and not family ties. Food prices have been stabilized so that everyone can afford to eat. By establishing a strong centralized authority, Napoleon brought order to France. He began censoring newspapers and had the secret police monitor people. Both of these actions were direct violations of the Enlightenment and the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which stated that people had the right to freedom of speech, press, and religion, and could not be silenced for these opinions. The hypocrisy of his actions is seen once again when Napoleon crowns himself emperor. In doing so, he says that his power to govern comes from God. The Napoleonic Catechism proclaimed: “[Napoleon had become] anointed of the Lord… those who failed in their duty to our emperor… resisting the order established by God himself” (Document 11).