Napoleon’s soldiers who died in Russian retreat had unexpected diseases, study finds

A recent study analyzing DNA from the teeth of soldiers buried in a mass grave from Napoleon's 1812 Russian retreat has revealed that many suffered from unexpected diseases, specifically paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever. This discovery sheds new light on the health challenges faced by the troops during this disastrous campaign, where around 300,000 soldiers perished due to starvation, cold, and illness. Understanding these diseases helps historians and medical researchers better grasp the conditions that contributed to the catastrophic loss of life.