Napoleon's soldiers, who perished in the ill-fated Russian campaign of 1812, were not just victims of brutal cold and starvation. According to a recent study published in Current Biology, many of them may have been afflicted with unexpected diseases that further exacerbated their already dire circumstances.
Researchers at the Institut Pasteur analyzed DNA from the teeth of 13 soldiers who had not previously been studied, and found evidence of two previously unknown bacterial infections: paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever. Paratyphoid fever is caused by contaminated food or water, while relapsing fever is spread through the bite of infected lice.
The study's findings provide fresh insights into the plight of Napoleon's soldiers, who suffered from a combination of exhaustion, hunger, and illness that ultimately claimed an estimated 300,000 lives. The researchers suggest that the presence of these diseases may have contributed significantly to the high mortality rate, weakening already exhausted individuals and making them more susceptible to starvation.
Historians have long debated the exact cause of Napoleon's defeat in Russia, with some attributing it solely to the harsh weather conditions. However, this new study suggests that the reality was far more complex, with soldiers facing not only the bitter cold but also a range of infectious diseases that further threatened their survival.
While the researchers acknowledge that the analysis of ancient DNA is subject to limitations and potential biases, their findings are significant nonetheless. As Dr. Michael Rowe, an expert in European history at King's College London, noted, "The science is interesting because it does something which a historian couldn't do – identify specific diseases that may have contributed to the soldiers' deaths."
Researchers at the Institut Pasteur analyzed DNA from the teeth of 13 soldiers who had not previously been studied, and found evidence of two previously unknown bacterial infections: paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever. Paratyphoid fever is caused by contaminated food or water, while relapsing fever is spread through the bite of infected lice.
The study's findings provide fresh insights into the plight of Napoleon's soldiers, who suffered from a combination of exhaustion, hunger, and illness that ultimately claimed an estimated 300,000 lives. The researchers suggest that the presence of these diseases may have contributed significantly to the high mortality rate, weakening already exhausted individuals and making them more susceptible to starvation.
Historians have long debated the exact cause of Napoleon's defeat in Russia, with some attributing it solely to the harsh weather conditions. However, this new study suggests that the reality was far more complex, with soldiers facing not only the bitter cold but also a range of infectious diseases that further threatened their survival.
While the researchers acknowledge that the analysis of ancient DNA is subject to limitations and potential biases, their findings are significant nonetheless. As Dr. Michael Rowe, an expert in European history at King's College London, noted, "The science is interesting because it does something which a historian couldn't do – identify specific diseases that may have contributed to the soldiers' deaths."
, like, I was just reading about Napoleon's Russian campaign and thought I knew the deal, but now I'm all shook up! 
Apparently, those poor guys were not just freezing their butts off and starving to death... they were also dealing with some nasty bacterial infections that totally messed them over. 
Paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever, whoa! I mean, I've heard of lice being a real problem before, but this is wild. 
I mean, I get it, it's cool and all that, but can we really trust these findings? Like, aren't there some major limitations to studying ancient poop? 
. And hey, at least now we know that the Russian campaign was more complicated than just "Napoleon made a bunch of bad decisions" 
... although, that might still be true too 
.
it's like our bodies were already at a breaking point and then we gotta deal with these other health issues too? anyways, its good to see scientists gettin more into ancient dna analysis and tryin to piece together what happened back in the day... might just help us learn somethin new about history 
. The fact that these scientists were able to analyze ancient DNA and find out what diseases were going around is mind-blowing. It's like a whole new layer of understanding about history. And can we talk about how much I love how they're saying the analysis has its limitations? Like, yeah, it's not perfect, but still, it's better than just speculating 
the researchers did a sick job analyzing those ancient teeth samples 
i feel bad for napoleon's soldiers, they were already dealing with starvation and exhaustion...and then these diseases just added to the mix 
it's like, we can't even imagine what they went through 
historians have been debating this forever, but now we have some real answers 
they didnt just die of cold & starvation like we all thot... apparently dey had 2 bacterial infections too!!! paratyphoid fever n relapsing fever 
The recent study on Napoleon's soldiers provides a fascinating glimpse into the often-overlooked aspect of their tragic demise in 1812 
. It's heartening to see researchers pushing the boundaries of our understanding through innovative methods like ancient DNA analysis 
.
It's wild to think that scientists were able to find evidence of these in the DNA of soldiers who died over 200 years ago. I'm not surprised historians have been debating about what went down in Russia for so long - there's gotta be more to it than just bad weather. 
The fact that these diseases could've weakened them and made 'em more susceptible to starvation is, like, totally mind-blowing. It's a great reminder of how complex history can be and how much we still have to learn. 
! I mean, we already knew they were freezing & starving but now we know they had 2 deal w/ other bacterial infections like paratyphoid fever & relapsing fever... thats just nasty 
. Can we get more research on this now? It's just fascinating 
and you've got a recipe for disaster 
So like I was reading this and I'm just thinking... Napoleon's soldiers were already having a rough time with the cold and hunger, but then you throw in these bacterial infections? 
It makes total sense that this would make it super hard for them to survive. 
. I guess this study is like, proof that history isn't just about numbers and dates, but also about the people who lived through them 
.