question_answer

  State how reactions of local people to French rule was mixed in conquered territories.

Answer:

                  Initially, in many places such as Holland and Switzerland, as well as in certain cities like Brussels, Mainz, Milan and Warsaw, the French armies were welcomed as harbingers of liberty. But the initial enthusiasm soon turned to hostility, as it became clear that the new administrative arrangements did not go hand in hand with political freedom. Increased taxation, censorships, forced recruitment into the French armies required to conquer the rest of Europe, all seemed to outweigh the advantages of the administrative changes.