A most impressive list: I don't think even his worst enemies ever denied Napoleon's energy and organisational skills.

But a few points come to mind at once:

Many of the financial and educational reforms were begun under the Directory, as were the legal reforms, though Napoleon may claim the credit for getting the lawyers to complete them.

The budget was never balanced annually - the published version was fiction

Religious freedom had been established under the Directory - many would say that re-establishing the Catholic church as the state church was a retrograde step.

The Legion d'Honneur was only a version of the order of St Louis with the exception of it being open to civilians. It was opposed as being contrary to revolutionary principles - it was certainly a way of establishing patronage in the hands of the ruler.

I'm sure other people have their own criticisms.

Many of the public works were, I believe, a re-establishment of institutions destroyed by the revolution. I'm sure France had horse-breeding establishments under the monarchy.

The reason so much was done under Napoleon was because there was a great deal of reorganisation to be done after the Revolution and he was certainly the best man to do it. If there is no equivalent list of achievements under other rulers this was largely because they had no such stimulus. In many cases he was playing catch-up, Britain's canal system was developed during the 18th century and the Bank of England was founded at the end of the 17th century. Most of Britain's development was done by private investment rather than by government initiative.

And as a final point: just think what Napoleon might have achieved if he had not wasted so much time and energy on war! He might even have kept the throne to pass on to his son.

Susan