Claude François de Malet

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Claude François de Malet (1754 - 1812) was a French general. Malet tried to overthrow Napoleon in 1812; he was later executed.

A member of an aristocratic family, Malet was disinherited for his support of the revolution. He was opposed to the crowning of Napoleon as emperor, and was accused of belonging to the Philadelphes, a secret republican society. He was under house arrest at the time of his conspiracy, but disguised himself as a current general with a fictitious name, Lamotte, in order to break his co-conspirators out of prison. He shot the governor of Paris but got no closer to the emperor, and was captured, court-martialed and executed.