French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte led an army of over half a million men into Russia in 1812. Six months later, only tens of thousands made it back to France due to harsh winter conditions, starvation, and diseases like typhus. Researchers have now found evidence that there were multiple diseases affecting the army, including two previously unknown types of bacteria.
Studies using ancient DNA analysis on teeth from soldiers’ mass graves in Lithuania have revealed Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis as responsible for paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever. This new information provides a clearer picture of the events surrounding Napoleon’s invasion, and highlights how technology has advanced to uncover historical circumstances.
Historical records show that when Napoleon and his troops reached Moscow, they encountered abandoned city with no supplies. As winter approached, the army faced harsh conditions, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The discovery of multiple diseases offers new insights into the history of infectious diseases and their impact on past events.
While the study found no evidence of typhus in all samples, it suggests that other diseases were present, which have yet to be detected. Ancient DNA researcher Cecil Lewis praised the findings as a meaningful contribution to understanding Napoleon’s army demise, highlighting the potential for new discoveries and future technological advancements.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/24/science/napoleon-army-undetected-disease