He died in 1821.
But his death is still a subject of interest.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French Emperor who was widely known for his war strategies and his involvement in many battles in the 1800s. As a tactical war strategist, he won many battles and conquered many lands.
His glory days were however thwarted when he lost a battle which would become his final : the battle of Waterloo(1815). He was exiled to an island in the Atlantic Ocean, St. Helena after his defeat; under British guard. He spent the last six years of his life there and died in 1821.
DEATH AND MATTERS ARISING
His autopsy report revealed he had died of stomach cancer. People seemed to believe this more than not, until later. In the 1960s, a group of scientists discovered in his hair, high levels of arsenic, a poison widely used in that era because it was undetectable. Imagine how that changed the course of belief!
This discovery somehow spear-headed debate on the cause of Napoleon's death. There became two factions, the ones who believed he died of stomach cancer, and the proponents of murder by poisoning.
ACCIDENTAL DEATH OR MURDER?
Each faction had reasons to substantiate their stance. The believers of the autopsy report argued Napoleon could not have died of arsenic poisoning. There were records of abdominal pain, headaches, weight loss, night sweats, nausea, to name a few which were clear signs of stomach cancer. Besides, a team of doctors declared death by stomach cancer. So what was there not to believe?
The other faction on the other hand believed someone or some people even, wanted Bonaparte gone forever. The suspects were the British, under whose guard Napoleon was, and the French authorities who did not want his return. Plus, the presence of high levels of arsenic indicated poisoning.
AFTERMATH
The argument has gone on for years. Each faction seems to have reasons for their belief. As people of this modern era however, we can only listen to history and make deductions; because as lame as it sounds, yes, you and I were not there.
Meanwhile the question still stands.
Who killed Napoleon? Or better still, what killed Napoleon?
# Did You Know? Series.
This is @serwaa from #teamghana. Thanks for reading.
Steemit Detective..... Please, let us unravel this mystery .....lol
Yh some CSI like that o
I think i have learnt something new from your post @serwaa. Thanks for the history lesson
Thank you for reading. You can always pass by to grab an interesting read. I'm a history fanatic.
Really informative , but scientist at that time were limited by the technology of their time .
Now to find our who really killed him will be based on assumptions and guesses.
Yeah. We could only assume.
Please find out for me wai
Haha
Napoleon... That man had enemies but will forever remain a crucial part of history. I'm of the view that whether stomach cancer or poisoning, there was still dying...😁 Awesome post though. Didn't know about the stomach poisoning though...
Loool. You're right. He is a person of interest in the history of mankind. And about the death...aah well death is death though, but if there's a mystery behind it, it calls for deliberation. Thanks for reading.
@serwaa, you just reminded me of a certain book of mine titled 'makers of civilisation'. I read about Napoleon and how he was defeated by the Duke of Willington... I loved that book and wished I still have it. Tanx for reminding me
You're most welcome. Thanks for reading too. I remember that book. It's a very old book. Had it from my mother's old books.
Irrespective of autopsy report, I think Bonaparte was murdered. He was a thorn in the flesh of the British, and some of the French officials who viewed his existence as a threat to theirs. The presence of arsenic in his hair gives his death a twist. The poison, which is actually Arsenic(III) oxide, is a tasteless white compound that dissolves in water. It is not that harmful when used in a small dose. For the arsenic to have been in Bonaparte's hair, it would've had to be administered in substantial doses over a long period of time. This evidence suggests that his death was deliberate. A thought-provoking article. Well done.
I could agree. Bonaparte had already escaped from exile once, and returned with full force. He became even mightier until his defeat at Waterloo. So you can imagine how dreadful the British and the French royals would be, of a re-escape.
Nice input.
wow...You have really surprised me @serwaa ...do you wana ask why??? I am almost done on on poem of Napoleon which l believ is going to answer this question..thanks so much for this great piece
Oh cool. I'm waiting on it. Let's see if it can answer over 2 centuries old question.
Such an insightful storey. Thanks for sharing. @serwaa.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.