Napoleon’s Most Embarrassing “Defeat” Involved Hundreds Of Hungry Rabbits

Last Updated:April 22, 2026, 23:00 IST

It sounds like internet nonsense, but this one actually has roots in real history.

Napoleon Bonaparte won some of the most decisive battles in European history. He built an empire, defeated powerful coalitions and reshaped the continent. So the idea that he was once forced to retreat — not from an army, but from a swarm of rabbits — sounds completely absurd. And yet, the story has been repeated for years, with one small but crucial mistake at the centre of it.

In 1807, after a major victory and the signing of the Treaties of Tilsit, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to celebrate with a grand rabbit hunt. His chief of staff, Alexandre Berthier, was put in charge of organising the event.

On paper, it was simple. Release hundreds — possibly thousands — of rabbits into a field, and let Napoleon and his guests hunt them.

But this is where things went wrong.

Instead of sourcing wild rabbits, Berthier’s team reportedly bought domesticated rabbits from local farmers. They looked the same, but behaved very differently.

When the rabbits were released, they didn’t scatter in fear the way wild animals would.

They ran straight towards Napoleon.

According to accounts later recorded by General Paul Thiébault, the rabbits quickly regrouped and “flung themselves upon Napoleon," piling around his legs and overwhelming the hunting party.

What was meant to be a celebratory hunt turned into chaos.

Napoleon and his men tried to push the animals away, using riding crops and even calling in attendants to help. It didn’t work. The rabbits kept coming. Some accounts say they even chased Napoleon to his carriage, forcing him to retreat.

So what actually happened?

The explanation is surprisingly simple. These were tame rabbits, used to being fed by humans. On top of that, they hadn’t been fed before the hunt. So instead of seeing Napoleon as a threat, they saw him as a source of food.

In other words, they weren’t attacking him. They were rushing him.

Still, the image stuck — one of history’s most powerful military leaders being overrun by a wave of hungry rabbits.

It’s often described as Napoleon’s most unusual “defeat," even if it wasn’t a battle in the traditional sense.

There is some debate among historians about how accurate the story is. Much of it comes from memoirs written years later, and like many anecdotes from that era, it may have been exaggerated over time.

But whether fully true or slightly embellished, the story has endured for one reason. It’s too good not to. Because for all his victories across Europe, Napoleon may still be remembered — at least in part — for the day he had to run away from rabbits.

News viral Napoleon’s Most Embarrassing “Defeat” Involved Hundreds Of Hungry Rabbits

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