Wendepunkte der Weltgeschichte: urologische Anmerkungen zur Pathographie berühmter Personen

Abstract

Apparently unimportant diseases of some prominent figures can have a considerable effect on the course of time at turning points in world history. It is quite conceivable that the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815 had been lost by France because Napoleon was not in full possession of his powers, because he was suffering from acute cystitis. Adverse weather conditions with continuous rain and coldness in advance of the battle, extremely primitive hygienic conditions and more than simple quarters for the night led to the development of cystitis. Based on the records of his biographers, his personal physician and the letters to his brother, we know that Napoleon was not able to give the command to attack in the early morning as intended, but in the early noon, only because of his bad general condition. This delay of several hours led, as we all know, to the intervention of Prussia and the devastating defeat of France. Thus it appears that a relatively unimportant urological disease influenced the course of world history crucially.