RJB
2nd June 2010, 06:08 PM
I'm working on writing a screenplay based on this historic event.
While Napoleon was freezing in Russia in 1812, General Claude François de Malet escaped from a prison/nursing home/mental institute where he was held for being part of another conspiracy.
Dressed as a General, he handed out forged documents that stated "Napoleon was dead in Russia," the end of the Napoleonic empire, a re-establishment of the Republic, and forged orders for the release of a few friends from prison and the imprisonment of enemies. He handed out forged bank notes with promises of 100,000 Francs.
It's unknown if his "co-conspirators" knew of the conspiracy or were just following orders issued by Malet, but these conspirators led troops to arrest different ministers.
For the first half of the day, no one had the courage to question the orders. The conspiracy rapidly fell apart when a Major looked at the documents and considered Malet's past. Malet was arrested and claimed to be the sole inventor of the conspiracy. A total of 14 men were executed within days for unwittingly following these orders.
Victor Hugo's mother was involved in an adulterous affair with one of the men.
Although the coup ultimately failed, it demonstrated how fragil that empire was. No one considered Napoleon’s heir to his throne. No one showed much remorse, infact, many soldiers cheered thinking they would get to go home. Napoleon eventually abandoned his men in Russia to rush back to Paris to maintain his control. Even though Napoleon was a brave soldier, preferring the battlefield tent to a palace, his soldiers were disappointed in his leaving.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Fran%C3%A7ois_de_Malet
While Napoleon was freezing in Russia in 1812, General Claude François de Malet escaped from a prison/nursing home/mental institute where he was held for being part of another conspiracy.
Dressed as a General, he handed out forged documents that stated "Napoleon was dead in Russia," the end of the Napoleonic empire, a re-establishment of the Republic, and forged orders for the release of a few friends from prison and the imprisonment of enemies. He handed out forged bank notes with promises of 100,000 Francs.
It's unknown if his "co-conspirators" knew of the conspiracy or were just following orders issued by Malet, but these conspirators led troops to arrest different ministers.
For the first half of the day, no one had the courage to question the orders. The conspiracy rapidly fell apart when a Major looked at the documents and considered Malet's past. Malet was arrested and claimed to be the sole inventor of the conspiracy. A total of 14 men were executed within days for unwittingly following these orders.
Victor Hugo's mother was involved in an adulterous affair with one of the men.
Although the coup ultimately failed, it demonstrated how fragil that empire was. No one considered Napoleon’s heir to his throne. No one showed much remorse, infact, many soldiers cheered thinking they would get to go home. Napoleon eventually abandoned his men in Russia to rush back to Paris to maintain his control. Even though Napoleon was a brave soldier, preferring the battlefield tent to a palace, his soldiers were disappointed in his leaving.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Fran%C3%A7ois_de_Malet