Napoleon Lost by a Hare

When you think of rabbits, what comes to mind? Do words like cute, cuddly, or Bugs Bunny bounce around in your brain? Maybe, Easter Eggs tops the list. Unless experiencing a hare-raising nightmare induced by spicy foods, I doubt bunnies instill fear and dread. In the wild, rabbits keep their distance from humanity, scampering off and sheltering in their burrows until the perceived threat has passed. George Orwell addressed this dichotomy when he said, "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals." Napoloeon might take issue with this comment. And, no, I'm not referencing Napoloeon Dynamite.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military general and statesmen. He conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. Napoleon was Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and a brief stint again in 1815. During his reign, he earned the designation of being a ruthless tyrant. And no wonder. At the height of his power, he commanded an army of over 1,000,000 strong. Considered one of the greatest field generals of all time, military schools around the globe continue to study his wars and campaigns.

But his life wasn't free of embarrassment. For instance the time he fled from a herd of rabbits.

In the Summer of 1807, Napoleon signed the Treaties of Tilsit. This essentially ended the war between the French Empire and Imperial Russia. To celebrate this agreement, Napoleon chose to host an outdoor luncheon and sporting event. He invited his most prominent top brass for a rabbit hunt. But, he needed an organizer for the event. He chose his Chief of Staff, Alexandre Berthier, for this role.

Berthier failed miserably.

Berthier gathered up hundreds of rabbits (s0me sources say upwards of three thousand), caged them, and delivered them to the field prepped for Napoleon's celebratory affair. The organizers expected the rabbits to flee across the field when the cage doors opened. But, that wasn't the case. In fact, what happened next may have been Napoleon's most embarrassing loss. The rabbits went on the offensive.

I'm not insinuating these lovable little creatures took up arms or turned into rabid monsters, but they did give Napoleon and his military men a shock. Instead of hopping of into the field or finding cover in the underbrush, they bounded toward the hunters. Nervous laughter rippled amongst the men, but the chuckles turned to horror as the men watched in horror as the bunnies climbed Napoleon's legs. His aides couldn't even beat them off with a stick...so, they all ran for safety. Some of the rabbits even climbed inside Napoleon's carriage.

So, how did Berthier fail? Instead of trapping wild hares, Berthier bought domesticated rabbits. The hares were used to humans and human interaction. The rabbits swarmed the men because they expected Napoleon to serve them dinner.

The attack of the bunnies ended once Napoleon rode off in his carriage. This certainly qualified as Napoleon's most humiliating defeat.

The next time you spot a cuddly brown rabbit nibbling on the vegetables in the garden, consider the possible consequences of shooing it away. That little rabbit might muster a colony of friends and chase you into the house. Well, that outcome is unlikely, but remember that quite possibly one of his great-great-great grand bunnies caused Napoleon to turn tail and run, this being something accomplished by few others in his storied career. History doesn't record if Napoleon and his men gathered at a tavern and laughed over the whole ordeal, but we can say with certainty, Napoleon lost by a Hare.