Napoleon, the conqueror of Europe, helped propel a wave of nationalism across the continent. Napoleon helped pass a set of civil laws, a novel at the time when monarchies were popular, now known as the Napoleonic Code that first codified a country’s laws and gave people easier time regarding owning property and civil liberties. The widespread adoption of Napoleonic rule helped unify Italy, which spread feelings of nationalism towards neighboring countries. Nationalism, among other factors like widespread poverty and power concentrated on the hands of the royalty and nobility, propelled the Revolutions of 1848 that engulfed many European countries.