The Age of Napoleon Podcast Episode 73: The Blood of a King
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Oct 11, 2020 The podcast explores a failed assassination plot against Napoleon by Britain in 1803, leading to a controversial episode. It discusses the royalist conspiracy, the identification and trial of the Duke of Angien, doubts and suspicions surrounding the execution, interpretations of the event, and the possibility of conspiracy involving individuals like Fouche and Talleyrand. The podcast reflects on Napoleon's regime and discusses how his dream of a humane dictatorship ultimately failed.
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Surveillance Over Arrest Revealed Networks
- Napoleon's police, led by Joseph Fouché, preferred surveillance to immediate arrests to map networks.
- That choice exposed conspirators' links but also created political risks when arrests followed.
Arrests, Exile, And A Mysterious Death
- After arrests, Murat (Moreau) was detained but exiled to the United States instead of imprisoned.
- Pichegru was captured and found dead in his cell shortly thereafter under suspicious circumstances.
Enghien's Profile Made Him A Target
- The Duke of Enghien (Condé) was a popular royalist in exile who took British pay and attracted heavy Republican scrutiny.
- His profile made him an obvious candidate to be portrayed as a figurehead for plots against Napoleon.