DNA From Dead Soldiers Sheds New Light on Napoleon’s Russian Nightmare

Researchers have uncovered evidence that diseases played a significant role in Napoleon's disastrous Russian retreat. The study found pathogens in the remains of soldiers who died from paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever, shedding new light on one of history's most devastating military campaigns.

The research team analyzed DNA extracted from the teeth of soldiers exhumed in Lithuania, who likely succumbed to infectious diseases. The analysis revealed two specific pathogens: a subspecies of Salmonella enterica Paratyphi C, which causes paratyphoid fever, and Borrelia recurrentis, which causes relapsing fever.

Four out of 13 tested soldiers showed signs of S. enterica Paratyphi C infection, while two had B. recurrentis. Both diseases are characterized by high fever, fatigue, and digestive problems, which align with the symptoms described in historical records of Napoleon's army. It is likely that these pathogens contributed to the suffering and death toll of the soldiers, who were already weakened by cold, hunger, and poor hygiene.

While the study cannot determine how widespread the diseases were among the approximately 300,000 soldiers who died during the retreat, it suggests that infectious diseases may have played a significant role in the disaster. The researchers' findings offer valuable insights into the development of infectious diseases and their impact on historical events, carrying implications for modern medicine.

The study's authors note that the discovery sheds new light on one of history's most infamous military failures, which was largely ignored by Adolf Hitler during World War II. Operation Barbarossa, which aimed to conquer the Soviet Union, was marked by similar harsh conditions and a lack of preparedness, resulting in significant losses for the German army.

The study highlights the importance of understanding the role of infectious diseases in historical events and their relevance to modern medicine. By investigating the genomic data of historically relevant pathogens, researchers can gain valuable insights into the development of infectious diseases and develop new treatments and prevention strategies.

I'm so fascinated by this new discovery about Napoleon's retreat . I mean, who knew that diseases could be responsible for such a massive disaster? It just goes to show how important it is to prioritize our health and hygiene, especially when we're in harsh environments. The fact that these pathogens are still present in the soldiers' remains all these years later is just creepy .

And can you believe that this study is shedding new light on Operation Barbarossa too? I feel like we're learning so much more about historical events and how they relate to modern medicine. It's really cool to see how scientists are using DNA analysis to uncover the secrets of the past .

I wonder if there are any lessons we can learn from this study that we can apply to our own lives today? Like, for example, how to prevent diseases in the military or in areas where people are exposed to harsh conditions. The possibilities are endless!

OMG, can u believe this? Like Napoleon's retreat was literally a war against his own immune system ! I mean, it makes total sense that infectious diseases played a huge role in his soldiers' deaths. All those harsh conditions, poor hygiene... it's like the perfect storm for pathogens to thrive. I'm so glad researchers are finally shedding light on this topic - it's crazy how much we can learn from history when it comes to medicine. And can we talk about how wild it is that Hitler missed out on all this info during WW2? Anyway, this study is like a total game-changer for modern medicine - let's hope they get some new treatments and prevention strategies out of this

Just read this crazy study about Napoleon's soldiers getting sick and dying from paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever. Like, who knew diseases were that bad back then? The researchers found DNA in the teeth of dead soldiers which is just wild. It's no wonder they got massacred by the Russians ️. This study is actually kinda cool though, it shows how infectious diseases can totally change the outcome of wars and stuff. We should really learn from history to develop new treatments and prevention strategies

This is so crazy that scientists found out what killed most of Napoleon's soldiers like 200 yrs ago! They actually found DNA in their teeth , who would've thought? It makes sense tho, the cold & hunger they went thru wouldve been bad enough for us today . Can u imagine being stuck in the Russian winter w/ no warm clothes or food ? The fact that it wasnt just the cold that killed them is wild

Dude this is wild, all that time people thought it was just cold and hunger causing Napoleon's retreat but it turns out these tiny pathogens were actually the real villains I mean imagine being on a military campaign with no meds, having to deal with paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever... it's like a modern-day zombie apocalypse in there . It's crazy how much we can learn from history, especially about diseases that have been around for centuries

Wow this is so interesting! It's crazy how scientists are still uncovering new info about Napoleon's retreat, like diseases were a major contributor to his downfall . I mean, it makes sense that pathogens would be a problem in harsh conditions, but I didn't know they found actual DNA from the soldiers' teeth ! That's wild stuff. It also highlights how history and science can intersect and help us learn more about past events .

I mean, it's crazy to think that diseases like paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever were so bad back then, right? I remember reading about Napoleon's retreat in school and how harsh the conditions were. It makes sense now that those diseases would've been a major problem for his soldiers.

I also thought it was weird that Operation Barbarossa was brought up in this study. I mean, I know Hitler didn't exactly ignore it, but still... Anyway, yeah, understanding how infectious diseases affected historical events is super important for modern medicine. It's like, we can learn from the past and make better treatments and stuff now.

It's wild that they found pathogens in the soldiers' teeth, though! I didn't know DNA could be preserved that well. And to think those guys were already dealing with cold, hunger, and poor hygiene on top of getting sick... Yeah, it's no wonder so many of them died.

I mean, come on, 300k soldiers dead? That's like, totally random. You'd think with all those guns and bombs they could've just, like, medicated or something. But noooo, gotta go and fight in the cold and get sick... Anyway, it's pretty wild that these diseases might've contributed to Napoleon's whole debacle. I mean, we're talking paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever here... those are some nasty bugs.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt It's crazy to think that something as simple as a pathogen could have such a massive impact on history, like Napoleon's Russian retreat. I mean, it makes total sense now - all those soldiers weakened from cold, hunger & poor hygiene... just when they needed to be sharp, diseases hit them hard . This study is like a big puzzle piece that shows us how many of these "what ifs" can actually change the outcome of historical events

It's wild to think that diseases were a major contributor to Napoleon's downfall. I mean, we know he was already in tough shape from the cold and lack of food, but this is like, who knew that tiny little microbes would be the deciding factor? It's crazy to see how much science has come a long way since then and now we're analyzing ancient DNA to figure out what went wrong. It just goes to show how powerful infectious diseases can be and how important it is to learn from history to prevent similar disasters in the future. The fact that Hitler kind of glossed over this part of history is also pretty interesting, but I guess that's a whole other conversation

It's just so mind-blowing to think about how diseases like paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever probably made Napoleon's Russian retreat even more tragic . I mean, we know it was already a disaster due to cold, hunger, and poor hygiene, but these pathogens just added another layer of suffering to it . It's crazy to think that these tiny little creatures could have such a huge impact on the outcome of an entire campaign. And now that scientists are studying this stuff, they might actually come up with new treatments and prevention strategies for diseases like these . I guess you could say history really is repeating itself, but in this case, it's all about learning from the past to make our present better

I'm surprised they didn't mention that this study could've been done years ago with proper equipment and funding. I mean, come on, DNA analysis is basic stuff now, right? Anyway, it's great that the researchers were able to shed some light on Napoleon's Russian retreat, but let's not forget that the German army also faced similar challenges during World War II, as the article mentions. Operation Barbarossa was basically a repeat of Napoleon's mistakes, so I don't think we can just attribute the German losses solely to infectious diseases. Still, it's good to know that our modern medicine has learned from history and is trying to prevent similar disasters in the future.

I'm like totally fascinated by this recent study on Napoleon's Russian retreat ! The fact that they found evidence of paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever in the soldiers' remains is mind-blowing,imo . It's so true what they say - you can't just assume historical events are due to bad leadership or strategic decisions alone...there are always these other factors at play .

I mean, it's pretty clear that the harsh conditions and poor hygiene were a recipe for disaster (no pun intended ). And yeah, it's crazy how some people might gloss over history like Adolf Hitler did with Operation Barbarossa...that stuff is still so relevant today . Anyway, I'm loving the direction of research on infectious diseases in historical events - who knew scientists could be so cool?

omg this is so crazy to think that these diseases were literally killing napoleons soldiers like 200 yrs ago anyway i was reading about napoleon's russian retreat last year and it was already super tragic but now we know for sure that disease was a huge part of the problem... it makes total sense that these diseases would be so deadly in those conditions - no medicine, no water, just freezing temperatures and hunger

just found out that 4 out of 13 soldiers who died during Napoleon's Russian retreat had paratyphoid fever it's wild to think that some guys were literally dying from digestive issues because they couldn't afford proper food or hygiene meanwhile, the germ theory was still a thing in the 1800s and people thought it was just bad air

I mean think about it... if these soldiers were already super weakened by cold hunger and poor hygiene... then it's like the environment they're in is actually making them more susceptible to getting sick . It's a reminder that we can't just blame one thing for our problems, we gotta take responsibility for how we take care of ourselves too . And also it makes you wonder about all the other soldiers who didn't get exhumed or studied... did they suffer in silence?

I'm thinking about how our knowledge of history is being used now . It's crazy that all these years later we're still figuring out how diseases affected Napoleon's army. I mean, it makes sense that they'd have a big impact on the soldiers' health and morale, but it's wild to think that some of those same pathogens were also affecting people during WWII... like, what can we learn from that?

OMG u no how Napoleon's Russian retreat is like totally legendary now they found out those diseases were literally killing his soldiers left & right! I mean, i already knew it was gonna be a bad trip for him but wow! Paratyphoid fever & relapsing fever are so nasty it's crazy they had no way to fight them off back then . It's all about how those soldiers were weak from cold & hunger & stuff, so diseases just ran wild on them . Anyways, this study is like super important for understanding history & medicine & all that jazz

OMG , I remember reading about Napoleon's retreat in school, like, back in 2015, right? Anyway, this study is crazy! Finding these pathogens in the soldiers' teeth is wild, it's like they were stuck with them forever . I can imagine how brutal it must've been for the guys, already struggling with hunger and cold, then BAM! you get sick and die... it's just so sad . I guess this study helps us understand more about how diseases affected history and stuff, but like, wouldn't it have been better to prevent all that suffering in the first place? I mean, we've come a long way since then, with modern medicine and all... but still, can you believe they had to go through that?