General Malet, escaped from his asylum, announced the Emperor's death in Russia, had two generals released and arrested the Minister of Police before being overpowered in a single morning. In the confusion, no one thought of proclaiming the King of Rome. The affair revealed the fragility of a regime hanging entirely on one life, and haunted Napoleon until his return.
See also
Characters Jean-Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
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Napoleon — A magisterial biography
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