Napoléon I

The statue in Laffrey by Emmanuel Frémiet was originally erected in Grenoble, but after the fall of the imperial regime in 1870, it was completely dismantled. It was restored in 1929 and placed on the spot where Napoleon, on his return from the isle of Elba and marching towards Paris to regain his empire, met the troops of King Louis XVIII, sent to stop him. At this point, Napoleon walked towards them, alone, and exclaimed, ‘If there is any man amongst you who wishes to kill his emperor, here I am!’ At least, that is the story. According to his memoirs it was less dramatic. Napoleon said something like: Hey, old chaps, do you really want to shoot the emperor? Anyway, whatever he said, apparently he still had enough charisma to ensure that no battle ensued, and Napoleon continued on his way to Paris. 

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