Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of France on 18 Brumaire VIII, promising to uphold the Revolutionary ideals that permeated the nation. Within a few years, however, he returned the country to autocratic rule. He enlisted the services of men whose ideologies conflicted with the empire, engendering instability within his new government. Despite many attempts, only one man achieved enough success to unsettle the Emperor's belief that his government was secure. General Claude-Francois de Malet was a fervent Republican and despite constant denunciations of Napoleon, few considered him a serious...