Introduction to the Discovery
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering traces of deadly pathogens that ravaged Napoleon’s soldiers during their doomed retreat from Russia in 1812. This finding provides a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding the French general’s downfall.
The Study and Its Findings
A study published in the journal Current Biology analyzed DNA from the teeth of French soldiers buried in a mass grave in Vilnius, Lithuania. The soldiers served under Napoleon during his disastrous invasion of Russia in the winter of 1812. They were among approximately 300,000 French Grande Armée soldiers who died in the campaign. The teeth contained bacteria that cause paratyphoid fever and lice-borne relapsing fever, suggesting multiple infections were circulating among the soldiers weakened by starvation and freezing temperatures.
Conditions of the Soldiers
These two pathogens had not previously been identified in Napoleon’s soldiers, although historians have documented the harsh conditions of their deaths for over two centuries. After entering Moscow, Napoleon’s campaign quickly failed. The French emperor was forced to retreat amid the harsh Russian winter, dwindling supplies, and fierce counterattacks. Vilnius was an important waypoint on the retreat route of 1812, with the mass grave containing the remains of up to 3,000 soldiers. Many soldiers arrived exhausted, hungry, and sick, with a significant number dying there and being quickly buried in mass graves.
Impact of the Pathogens
The study conclusively shows that paratyphoid fever and lice-borne relapsing fever occurred among the soldiers, which may have contributed to debilitation and mortality. Four of the 13 soldiers tested positive for the bacterium paratyphoid, while two others tested positive for the bacterium relapsing fever. Both bacterial infections cause fever, headache, and weakness and can spread quickly in crowded, unsanitary environments. Paratyphoid fever is transmitted through food and water, while lice-borne relapsing fever is transmitted through body lice.
Conclusion and Future Research
By studying ancient DNA, researchers can give names to infections that symptom-based reports alone cannot resolve. The simultaneous occurrence of pathogens with different transmission routes underlines how bad the hygienic conditions were. Future work at additional sites and individuals will refine the 1812 disease landscape, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that led to the downfall of Napoleon’s army.
