Napoleon offered for his men to shoot him after he escaped exile. None did.
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most famous military tacticians and politicians of all time, but he is also regarded for the loyalty he inspired in his troops. While he had many enemies throughout France, those who were loyal to Napoleon were die-hard advocates.
Subduing Napoleon was an extremely difficult problem for the French government, causing him to be exiled twice after escaping the first time. Napoleon had been cast off to the Isle of Elba in the hope that he would not return. Unfortunately, being Napoleon, he escaped his imprisonment and gathered troops, whom he organized and marched back to Paris to once again overthrow the French monarchy.
After escaping, Napoleon approached the men that were sent to arrest him, and alone in front of an entire regiment said, “Soldiers of the 5th. You can shoot your emperor if you dare!”
After ripping his coat open for emphasis, Napoleon remained alive and proceeded to travel to the French capital, seizing it once again and gathering a force of nearly 300,000 men within a month.
