Malet coup of 1812
Encyclopedia
The Malet coup of 1812 was an attempted coup d'etat
in Paris
, France
, aimed at removing Napoleon I
, then campaigning in Russia
, from power. The coup was engineered by Republican general Claude François de Malet
, who had spent time in prison because of his opposition to Napoleon. The coup failed, and the leading conspirators were executed.
and slowly becoming disenchanted with Napoleon Bonaparte, opposing the Corsican general's rise to the position of First Consul. Malet, by 1805 a brigadier general, resigned his commission after Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French
.
After his resignation, Malet was made governor of Pavia
, then of Rome
, both of which were under French control. After Napoleon's stepson, Viceroy of Italy Eugene de Beauharnais
, accused Malet of conspiring against Napoleon, the governor was removed from his position and incarcerated in France. In 1812, Malet was allowed to retire to a sanitarium.
While at the sanitarium, Malet met with several agents of the House of Bourbon
, who were working to replace the First Empire with a restored monarchy
. Despite these connections, Malet appears to have had strong republican
, rather than royalist, leanings. At the sanatorium he began to plan a coup which would topple Napoleon.
Napoleon was absent from France in 1812, commanding his troops in the invasion of Russia
, providing Malet with an ideal opportunity to strike. With several others, he crafted detailed plans for a seizure of power, which was scheduled for late October. Malet and his co-conspirators even planned a provisional government, to be installed after the coup. Lazare Carnot
was to be part of this government, serving as interim president.
Prison.
At La Force, Malet ordered the release of two imprisoned generals, Victor Lahorie
and Maximilian-Joseph Guidal
. The guards obeyed him, and the generals, republicans like Malet, were convinced to join the coup. Malet sent Lahorie to arrest the Duke of Rovigo
, the Minister of Police, while Guidal, with a company of National Guards, was to seize General Henri Clarke, the Minister of War, and Archchancellor Cambacérès
. Guidal, an enemy of Rovigo, insisted that he be allowed to accompany Lahorie. The two generals awoke Rovigo and placed him in La Force, neglecting to arrest the other two officials.
Other senior officials, such as the Paris prefect of police, were arrested, and Lahorie was given the position of Minister of General Police. As this occurred, Malet confronted General Pierre-Augustin Hulin
, the commander of the Paris garrison, in the latter's home. The general listened to the conspirator, who informed him that he (Hulin) had been relieved of his garrison command and that he was to turn over the seal of the 1st Division, which was located in Paris. Hulin demanded to see the official papers that would authorize such actions, whereupon Malet shot him in the jaw.
After seeing Malet, Doucet recognized him as a recent inmate in a sanitarium. Once the two were in Doucet's office, the colonel overpowered Malet and had him placed under arrest. He also ordered that the 10th Cohort, the National Guard unit that had taken part in the coup, return to its barracks. Doucet ordered that Rovigny and other police commanders be released from La Force, while writing to Clarke, the Minister of War, and informing him of the attempted coup.
Clarke, whose ministry was experiencing strained relations with that of Rovigny, sent a detachment of the Imperial Guard
to protect the Ministry of Police and set about restoring order to Paris and, at the same time, making an effort to portray Rovigny as incompetent. One of Clarke's first actions was to inform Archchancellor Cambacérès of the coup, urging the man to bring Empress Marie-Louise and Napoleon's heir, the infant King of Rome to Saint-Cloud
.
The 10th Cohort was sent to Bremen, and Minister of War Clarke began to investigate all general officers present in Paris on October 23, suspending from service those who he thought had acted in a way that showed support for Malet.
Napoleon, rushing back to Paris from Russia, did not punish Rovigny, the unfortunate Minister of Police, much to Clarke's chagrin. Clarke remained intact, too, although Napoleon spoke critically of him, wondering why, after hearing of his supposed death, the minister did not proclaim that Napoleon II was the new emperor.
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, aimed at removing Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, then campaigning in Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, from power. The coup was engineered by Republican general Claude François de Malet
Claude François de Malet
Claude François de Malet was born in Dôle to an aristocratic family on June 28, 1754. Malet was executed by a firing squad on October 29, 1812, six days after Malet staged a failed republican coup d'état as Napoléon Bonaparte returned from the disastrous Russian campaign.-Before and during the...
, who had spent time in prison because of his opposition to Napoleon. The coup failed, and the leading conspirators were executed.
The Malet conspiracy
Claude François de Malet was born in 1754, distinguishing himself in the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and slowly becoming disenchanted with Napoleon Bonaparte, opposing the Corsican general's rise to the position of First Consul. Malet, by 1805 a brigadier general, resigned his commission after Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French
Emperor of the French
The Emperor of the French was the title used by the Bonaparte Dynasty starting when Napoleon Bonaparte was given the title Emperor on 18 May 1804 by the French Senate and was crowned emperor of the French on 02 December 1804 at the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, in Paris with the Crown of...
.
After his resignation, Malet was made governor of Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, then of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, both of which were under French control. After Napoleon's stepson, Viceroy of Italy Eugene de Beauharnais
Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Prince Français, Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and 1st Prince of Eichstätt ad personam was the first child and only son of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Joséphine Tascher de la...
, accused Malet of conspiring against Napoleon, the governor was removed from his position and incarcerated in France. In 1812, Malet was allowed to retire to a sanitarium.
While at the sanitarium, Malet met with several agents of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, who were working to replace the First Empire with a restored monarchy
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
. Despite these connections, Malet appears to have had strong republican
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
, rather than royalist, leanings. At the sanatorium he began to plan a coup which would topple Napoleon.
Napoleon was absent from France in 1812, commanding his troops in the invasion of Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, providing Malet with an ideal opportunity to strike. With several others, he crafted detailed plans for a seizure of power, which was scheduled for late October. Malet and his co-conspirators even planned a provisional government, to be installed after the coup. Lazare Carnot
Lazare Carnot
Lazare Nicolas Marguerite, Comte Carnot , the Organizer of Victory in the French Revolutionary Wars, was a French politician, engineer, and mathematician.-Education and early life:...
was to be part of this government, serving as interim president.
Seizure of power in Paris
At 4:00 in the morning on October 23, 1812, Malet escaped from his captivity, donning a general's uniform. He approached Colonel Gabriel Soulier, who commanded the 10th Cohort of the French National Guard, informing the colonel that Napoleon had died while in Russia. Several forged documents convinced Soulier of the accuracy of Malet's claims, and the colonel, ill and stunned by his own "promotion" to general, which was among the forged papers, obeyed Malet when told to assemble the cohort. Soulier did not question Malet, even when the latter announced his intention to arrest several top officials, and the cohort followed its commander's example and submitted to the recent prisoner, following him to the La ForceLa Force
-Places:La Force is the name of several communes in France:* La Force, in the Aude département* La Force, in the Dordogne département* La Force prison was a prison in Paris-People:* Duc de La Force was a peerage of France...
Prison.
At La Force, Malet ordered the release of two imprisoned generals, Victor Lahorie
Victor Lahorie
Victor Claude Alexandre Fanneau de Lahorie was a French general who served during the First Empire....
and Maximilian-Joseph Guidal
Emmanuel Maximilien-Joseph Guidal
Emmanuel Maximilien-Joseph Guidal was a French general known for his role in the Malet Conspiracy which was aimed at toppling Napoleon I, who was away from Paris when the events of it occurred.- Life :Guidal was born on December 31, 1764...
. The guards obeyed him, and the generals, republicans like Malet, were convinced to join the coup. Malet sent Lahorie to arrest the Duke of Rovigo
Anne Jean Marie René Savary
Anne Jean Marie René Savary, 1st Duc de Rovigo , French general and diplomat, was born at Marcq in the Ardennes.-Biography:...
, the Minister of Police, while Guidal, with a company of National Guards, was to seize General Henri Clarke, the Minister of War, and Archchancellor Cambacérès
Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, 1st Duke of Parma was a French lawyer and statesman during the French Revolution and the First Empire, best remembered as the author of the Napoleonic code, which still forms the basis of French civil law.-Early career:Cambacérès was born in Montpellier, into a...
. Guidal, an enemy of Rovigo, insisted that he be allowed to accompany Lahorie. The two generals awoke Rovigo and placed him in La Force, neglecting to arrest the other two officials.
Other senior officials, such as the Paris prefect of police, were arrested, and Lahorie was given the position of Minister of General Police. As this occurred, Malet confronted General Pierre-Augustin Hulin
Pierre-Augustin Hulin
Pierre-Augustin Hulin was a French general under Napoleon Bonaparte who took part in the storming of the Bastille, the trial of the Duke d'Enghien, and the foiling of the Malet coup.- Early life :...
, the commander of the Paris garrison, in the latter's home. The general listened to the conspirator, who informed him that he (Hulin) had been relieved of his garrison command and that he was to turn over the seal of the 1st Division, which was located in Paris. Hulin demanded to see the official papers that would authorize such actions, whereupon Malet shot him in the jaw.
Suppression of the coup
Malet entered the military headquarters, which was opposite Hulin's house. Trouble awaited him, as Colonel Jean Doucet, on duty there, had received letters from Malet, informing him of Napoleon's death as well as promoting him to général de brigade and ordering him to seize several buildings in Paris. The papers stated that Napoleon had died on October 7, and Doucet had knowledge of letters, written by Napoleon, that had been sent after that date.After seeing Malet, Doucet recognized him as a recent inmate in a sanitarium. Once the two were in Doucet's office, the colonel overpowered Malet and had him placed under arrest. He also ordered that the 10th Cohort, the National Guard unit that had taken part in the coup, return to its barracks. Doucet ordered that Rovigny and other police commanders be released from La Force, while writing to Clarke, the Minister of War, and informing him of the attempted coup.
Clarke, whose ministry was experiencing strained relations with that of Rovigny, sent a detachment of the Imperial Guard
Imperial Guard
The Imperial Guard was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he was careful of its use in battle...
to protect the Ministry of Police and set about restoring order to Paris and, at the same time, making an effort to portray Rovigny as incompetent. One of Clarke's first actions was to inform Archchancellor Cambacérès of the coup, urging the man to bring Empress Marie-Louise and Napoleon's heir, the infant King of Rome to Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine or Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of the 36500 in...
.
Aftermath
Retribution was swift: Malet, Lahorie, and Guidal were tried before a council of war and were executed by firing squad on October 29. Others, including Colonel Soulier, who had been tricked into enabling the coup, were shot on October 31. Colonel Jean-François Rabbe, commander of the Paris Guard (which was fooled, too, into supporting Malet) was spared execution.The 10th Cohort was sent to Bremen, and Minister of War Clarke began to investigate all general officers present in Paris on October 23, suspending from service those who he thought had acted in a way that showed support for Malet.
Napoleon, rushing back to Paris from Russia, did not punish Rovigny, the unfortunate Minister of Police, much to Clarke's chagrin. Clarke remained intact, too, although Napoleon spoke critically of him, wondering why, after hearing of his supposed death, the minister did not proclaim that Napoleon II was the new emperor.