New DNA evidence reveals how Napoleon's army was actually defeated

Turns out typhus may not have been the culprit

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Scientists have uncovered new DNA evidence that challenges long-held assumptions about Napoleon's disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia. As his Grande Armée — nearly half a million strong — advanced towards Moscow, it faced fierce resistance, dwindling supplies and the onset of a brutal winter.

By the time the troops began their retreat, starvation and disease had taken hold. Now, analysis of soldiers' remains suggests that, rather than typhus being the main cause of the army's demise, a mix of infectious diseases may have decimated the French Emperor's troops.