Malet coup of 1812
Claude François de Malet was born in 1754. He distinguished himself in the French Revolutionary Wars and slowly became disenchanted with Napoleon Bonaparte. Malet opposed the Corsican general's rise to the position of First Consul. By 1804, he held the rank of brigadier general before resigning his commission after Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French. After his resignation, Malet served as governor of Pavia, then of Rome, both territories under French control. Napoleon's stepson, Eugène de Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy accused Malet of conspiring against Napoleon. This accusation led to Malet being removed from his position and imprisoned in France. In 1812, Malet was permitted to retire to a sanatorium at the request of his wife.
While at the sanatorium, Malet met with several agents of the House of Bourbon who worked 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 to overthrow the emperor. 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 scheduled for late October. Malet and his co-conspirators planned a provisional government to be installed after the coup. Lazare Carnot was to be appointed interim president. The core of their strategy relied on forged documents that claimed Napoleon had died while in Russia.
At 4a.m. on the 23rd of October 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. Malet informed the colonel that Napoleon had died while in Russia. Several forged documents convinced Soulier of the accuracy of Malet's claims. The colonel, ill and stunned by his own promotion to general 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. The cohort followed its commander's example and submitted to the recent prisoner following him to La Force 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 were convinced to join the coup.
Malet then proceeded to the military headquarters opposite Hulin's home where he met with the senior officer on duty there. Colonel Doucet was suspicious because the letters presented to him that referenced Napoleon's death stated that the Emperor had died on the 7th of October. Doucet had knowledge of letters written by Napoleon that had been sent after that date. The colonel also recognized Malet as a sanatorium inmate. Once alone in his office with the general, Doucet overpowered him. Malet was placed under arrest while Doucet ordered the National Guard's 10th Cohort to return to its barracks. He then released Rovigo and other officials imprisoned by the conspirators. Doucet informed the Minister of War Clarke of these developments. Clarke sent a detachment of the Imperial Guard to protect the Ministry of Police and set about restoring order to Paris.
Malet, Lahorie, and Guidal were tried before a council of war and executed by firing squad on the 29th of October. Others including Colonel Soulier who had been tricked into enabling the coup were shot on the 31st of October. Colonel commander of the Paris Guard which too was fooled into supporting the conspirators was spared execution. The 10th Cohort was sent to Bremen. Minister of War Clarke began to investigate all general officers present in Paris on the 23rd of October suspending from service those who he thought had acted in a way that showed support for Malet. Napoleon rushed back to Paris from Russia but did not punish Rovigo to the disappointment of his rival Clarke. Clarke had been spoken poorly of by Napoleon who wondered why after hearing of his supposed death the minister did not proclaim Napoleon II as the new Emperor.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who was Claude François de Malet and what motivated his coup attempt in 1812?
Claude François de Malet was a French brigadier general born in 1754 who became disenchanted with Napoleon Bonaparte after opposing his rise to First Consul. He planned the coup while imprisoned at a sanatorium because he opposed Napoleon's coronation as Emperor of the French.
When did the Malet coup of 1812 take place and how long did it last?
The Malet coup began at 4a.m. on the 23rd of October 1812 when Malet escaped from captivity. The conspirators were executed by firing squad starting on the 29th of October, ending the plot within six days.
How did Claude François de Malet trick military leaders into supporting his coup d'état?
Malet forged documents claiming that Napoleon had died while commanding troops in Russia during the invasion of 1812. These forgeries convinced Colonel Gabriel Soulier and others to arrest officials and release imprisoned generals Victor Lahorie and Maximilian-Joseph Guidal.
Who discovered the fraud in the Malet coup of 1812 and stopped the rebellion?
Colonel Doucet discovered the fraud when he recognized Malet as a sanatorium inmate and noted that letters referenced Napoleon dying on the 7th of October despite receiving correspondence after that date. Doucet overpowered Malet and ordered the National Guard's 10th Cohort back to its barracks.
What happened to Claude François de Malet and his co-conspirators after the failed coup?
Claude François de Malet, Lazare Carnot, and Maximilian-Joseph Guidal were tried before a council of war and executed by firing squad on the 29th of October 1812. Other conspirators including Colonel Soulier were shot on the 31st of October while the commander of the Paris Guard was spared execution.