Napoleon Bonaparte is widely remembered as one of the greatest military leaders of all time. A man with a genius mind, gift for rousing beaten troops, and unquenchable thirst for power, Napoleon helped secure the success of the French Revolution before instating himself as the new emperor. But one battle that didn’t make its way into many books is that of Bonaparte vs. the Bunnies, a surprising fight that unfolded during a gathering to celebrate the Treaty of Tilsit. In this episode of Smarticus Tells History, our host tells us about the formidable man that was Napoleon Bonaparte and the incredible battle that no one saw coming.

Highlights: 

The incident of Napoleon vs. the bunnies is a little-known anecdote from his illustrious career as military mastermind turned world leader. Highlights from this week’s episode include:

• A look back at Napoleon’s complex life, including its beginnings in Corsica.
• How Napoleon got involved in the French Revolution following his education at the prestigious Ecole Militaire. 
• The Italian campaign against the Austrians that earned Napoleon a reputation as a brilliant military mind. 
• The Battle of the Pyramids and Napoleon’s quiet return to France afterwards. 
• Napoleon’s involvement in the Coup of 18 Brumaire that left him as first consul of France. 
• The significant reforms Napoleon put in place that remain the backbone for much of French government today. 
• Napoleon’s successes across Europe, including the Treaty of Tislit. 
• The epic rabbit hunt turned vicious attack that took Napoleon and France’s greatest military leaders by surprise. 
• Napoleon’s downfall and exile on St. Helena, where he died after writing his memoirs. 
• Why Napoleon is still such a widely contested figure in French history. 

Links: 

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Sources: 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/51364/time-napoleon-was-attacked-rabbits

https://www.portablepress.com/blog/2015/04/napoleon-vs-the-bunnies/

https://medium.com/la-bibliothèque/the-day-rabbits-attacked-napoleon-3a126e562d09

https://www.trueorbetter.com/2019/01/napoleon-vs-rabbits.html

https://www.christinecaccipuoti.com/post/napoleon-versus-rabbits

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/05/18/napoleon-and-the-battle-of-the-rabbits/?safari=1

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56977769

https://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_politic/legacy/page_1.html

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