Today in History—July 9: The Treaty Celebration That Sent Napoleon Running

Written by

Michele Metych

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

On this day in 1807, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte signed the second Treaty of Tilsit with Russia and Prussia following his smashing victories at Jena and Friedland. France and Russia were now allies, and Prussia was largely left to its fate. It was yet another episode in the Napoleonic Wars and the emperor’s seemingly unstoppable—and often successful—attempts to dominate Europe.

That’s all well and good, but the way they celebrated this treaty is the real story here: They organized a rabbit hunt for Napoleon and his men.

The rabbits were purchased from local farms on the orders of Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Napoleon’s chief of staff. He arranged a banquet, to be followed by the hunt, on his estate outside Paris. The rabbits, numbering at least in the hundreds and possibly in the thousands, were caged on a grassy field.

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

When the time arrived, the rabbits were released. The men waited with their weapons, anticipating the chase.

Instead, the horde of rabbits—domesticated animals that associated humans with food—ran directly toward the Emperor of the French and his armed forces.

Amusement quickly turned into an all-out bunny assault. One general wrote that the bunnies “piled themselves up between [Napoleon’s] legs till they made him stagger.”

He was forced to climb into his carriage to escape the onslaught. The rabbits, however, divided their forces and swarmed both flanks of the coach (a move Napoleon surely could have appreciated). A few even managed to scramble aboard.

Fun Fact

Not the only animal tangle: Napoleon’s wife Joséphine owned a pug, Fortuné, who disliked Napoleon and allegedly bit him on their wedding night.

Napoleon was forced to retreat.

The cottontail storm remained a secret, perhaps for obvious reasons, until many decades later, when the general’s memoir was published.

As for the treaty, peace proved short-lived. By 1810, relations between France and Russia were on the rocks, and Europe was hopping toward yet another war.

Related Links

By the Numbers

120,000,000 francs: Amount of war restitution Napoleon demanded Prussia pay in the treaty
42,000 men: Limit placed on the Prussian army for 10 years by the treaty
16: Age Napoleon became an officer in the French Army

Also On This Day

1762: Catherine the Great overthrows her husband, Peter III, to become empress of Russia
1776: George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence be read aloud to his army
1816: Argentina declares independence from Spain

Famous Birthdays