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Napoleon Bonaparte ordering the poisoning
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Napoleon Bonaparte ordering the poisoning
Napoleon Bonaparte ordering the poisoning of plague-ridden French troops after the Siege of Jaffa, Egyptian Campaign, 1799. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by George Cruikshank from The Life of Napoleon a Hudibrastic Poem by Doctor Syntax, T. Tegg, London, 1815
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Media ID 23166982
© Florilegius/Mary Evans
Apothecary Campaign Cruikshank Doctor Hudibrastic Jaffa Napoleon Plague Poem Poison Revolutionary Siege Syntax
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Napoleon Bonaparte: The Unseen Reality of War - Ordering the Poisoning of Plague-Ridden French Troops This handcoloured copperplate engraving, created by George Cruikshank for 'The Life of Napoleon a Hudibrastic Poem' by Doctor Syntax, published in London in 1815, offers a chilling glimpse into the harsh realities of war during Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian Campaign. The image depicts Napoleon ordering the poisoning of plague-ridden French troops after the Siege of Jaffa in 1799. The scene unfolds in a dimly lit hospital, where a desperate Napoleon stands amongst the suffering soldiers. A frantic apothecary, with a mortar and pestle in hand, prepares a lethal concoction at the emperor's command. The soldiers, weak and emaciated, lie on their cots, their faces etched with fear and despair. The air is thick with the stench of disease and death. The Siege of Jaffa was a pivotal moment in the Egyptian Campaign, with the French forces suffering heavy losses due to the outbreak of the bubonic plague. With supplies running low and the situation desperate, Napoleon made the controversial decision to order the poisoning of the infected troops to prevent the spread of the disease and save the remaining soldiers. This caricature, while exaggerated, sheds light on the harsh realities of war and the lengths to which leaders were willing to go to protect their armies. The image is a poignant reminder of the human cost of conflict and the sacrifices made in the name of victory.
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