Napoleon Was Attacked By 3,000 Angry Bunnies
The truth behind Napolean’s strangest battle
What led to Napoleon’s downfall? Was it is arrogance? His unquenchable thirst for power? Or, was it his aide’s unhealthy obsession with bunnies?
In July 1807, Napoleon was looking to celebrate signing the Treaties of Tilsit. Chief of Staff Alexandre Berthier had a brilliant idea — the military’s highest-ranking officers would get together for an epic hunt.
Not every hunt ends well, but Berthier wanted to guarantee this one was unforgettable. He decided to pull out all the stops, collecting hundreds of rabbits. Some sources indicate he managed to herd as many as 3,000 fuzzy bunnies into a grassy field, where Napoleon and his men could enjoy chasing and killing as many frightened animals as they pleased.
The French emperor liked the idea, and he started looking forward to the hunt of a lifetime. But not everything went according to plan.
As soon as the cages were opened, Napoleon and his men rushed forward in pursuit. But contrary to what anyone had expected, the rabbits didn’t scatter in fear. Instead, they charged straight toward the world’s most powerful man.
Berthier had initially wanted to capture wild rabbits, but this ended up being too difficult. Instead, he…
