French military genius. Emperor. Most powerful man in Europe. History books are full of Napoleon Bonaparte's early-1800s triumphs. But there was one situation the storied strategist wasn't ready for: an army of bunny rabbits.
Bonaparte proclaimed himself emperor of France in 1804 and eventually conquered much of Europe. In 1807, after signing a treaty with Russia, Bonaparte decided his latest victory required a celebration. And he believed that meaningful occasion should include a rabbit hunt.
Orders were sent to Bonaparte's chief of staff, Baron Louis-Alexandre Berthier. He was to plan an outdoor feast and round up some rabbits for the planned hunting excursion.
Sources vary on the number of rabbits Berthier obtained for the hunt—some say hundreds, while others say thousands. Either way, numerous cages full of rabbits were placed along the edges of a grassy field. The trumpets sounded to signal the rabbits' release. Everyone assumed the creatures would panic and bolt for freedom into the wilderness, and the hunt would start.
Wackiness broke out instead. The bunnies bounded straight toward Bonaparte and his guests, and the battle of the bunnies began.
Bonaparte and his fellow fighters weren't prepared for the rabbits' forcefulness. Confusion reigned as the mob of fluffy creatures swarmed the men. The rabbits nibbled their boots, climbed up their legs, and generally caused chaos. The men tried to shoo them away with whips and sticks, giving Bonaparte a chance to flee the fight.
Bonaparte dashed toward his carriage to retreat from the rabbit raid, but accounts of the battle say he wasn't quick enough. The bunny battalion divided into two swarms. They surrounded the emperor as he clambered into the carriage, fending off the rabbits that followed him inside.
Eventually the carriage horses trotted away from the furry attackers, ending the battle, and Berthier's error was discovered. Bonaparte's chief of staff had gotten tame rabbits from farmers, so the animals were accustomed to people. Instead of running from the hunters, the hungry rabbits were expecting the men to feed them. Oops.
The failed celebration hunt wasn't Bonaparte's most famous defeat. That would come in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, which sent the leader into exile. But the bunny battle was no doubt the wildest.
Which is the closest synonym for the word reign, as it is used in the article?
interrupt
prevail
annoy
delay