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Researchers crack the mysteries about the bones of the fallen

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Researchers crack the mysteries about the bones of the fallen

For centuries there was almost no trace of the twenty thousand who died at the Battle of Waterloo. Now it’s clear: Her bones were ground to produce sugar.

For those who fell at Waterloo, the promise of a „beautiful death for the motherland” was fulfilled in an illusory way. More than 20,000 soldiers and their horses perished in the fields south of Brussels after the French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte lost his last battle against the armies of Britain and Prussia in June 1815. However, the dead did not find their final rest in cemeteries, but in the factories of the nascent European sugar industry.

Waterloo Boone Store

It has long been assumed that the Waterloo bones were dug up in the 1820s, shipped to England, made into bone meal and spread over the fields as fertilizer. Now a team of three historians has found the crucial evidence for the truth, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports. She has a research report that Bernard Wilkin, Robin Schaeffer, and Tony Pollard want to present Thursday. In accordance with this, he began working with the dead of Waterloo some 20 years after the battle.

Since 1834, illegal excavations of bones in mass graves have been documented in the municipal archives of Brienne-l’Alleud and Blanquinet, according to Wilken of Belgium, whose ancestors were themselves farmers in the area. Mayor Brian Lallude indicated in a proclamation that breaching the security of the dead „is punishable by imprisonment from three months to one year and a fine from ten to 200 francs.” But it didn’t help, as the researchers’ findings show.

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Sugar beets replace potatoes and cereals

Thus, the researchers quote from an article in „L’Indépendant” dated August 23, 1835, which states that a group of industrialists were given permission to excavate on the battlefield in order to „discover the bones of the brave men who died on the field of combat. The honor of lying to remove to make bone char.” As early as 1830, German geologist Carl von Leonard wrote in a letter about his visit to the estate of La Haye Sainte, which was defended by 400 German soldiers during the battle.

Von Leonhard now found „colossal piles of horse bones” and „deep ditches full of people and animals”. One worker particularly praised the „Guards’ Grenadiers” because they „weigh as much as horse bones,” von Leonhard wrote.

In fact, the local notables had no interest in stopping the work, the researchers wrote: A „small fortune” could be made with no fewer than 1.7 million kilograms of bone in the ground. Because around 1833 the rise of the sugar industry in Belgium and the rest of Europe began. As a result, sugar beets pushed potatoes and grain out of the fields, particularly in the Waterloo area. As for growing beets, farmers had to till the soil deeper than other crops. As they did so, the researchers explained, they inevitably encountered human remains and mass graves.

’The discovery is very important’

Sugar mills, which were appearing not only in Belgium, craved human and animal bones. The organic matter is ground into bone charcoal to leach out the sugar, thus removing the color. A contemporary politician estimated the need for cooking to be about a third of the sugar produced. Another indication of a profitable business is the facilitation of foreign trade in animal bones, which was decided by the Belgian parliament in 1834.

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Among historians, the findings of Wilkin, Sheffer, and Pollard must have inspired enthusiasm. „The discovery is very important because it completely changes the information we had before,” French historian and Napoleon expert David Chanterand told FAZ. It was a scandal exposed by the trio. The authors themselves recede in their judgment of time: after all, people were interested in improving their daily lives through the bone trade. For the Belgian Bernard Wilkin in particular, there is joy in solving the puzzle.

Wilkin told the newspaper that he himself could not believe what they found: „the answer to an open question of the last two hundred years.” This was possible because many of his primary sources had previously been unavailable to other researchers. Society archives, for example, are not in any digital database. Anyone who does not work in the Belgian State Archives, as he himself does, will have practically no chance of discovering the reports. Plus, you have to speak some languages ​​to collect all the clues, Wilkin says.

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An arrested man snatches a gun from police officers and shoots two officers at the clinic

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Paris – A man arrested for attacking a woman with a knife grabbed an officer at a Paris police station and shot two police officers.

Three people were taken to hospital after the accident. (Avatar) © 123RF/vbaleha

Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez (60 years old) arrived at the crime scene shortly after the crime occurred around midnight, accompanied by Public Prosecutor Laure Picoau, and explained to reporters that the suspect was arrested around 10 p.m. for “an extremely violent attack on a woman.” With a cutting knife brought to the station.

There, the arrested man grabbed the weapon and seriously injured the officers. Therefore, the two police officers were taken to the hospital; One of them was in danger of death.

The arrested man was reportedly seriously injured when he was shot. The man was also taken to hospital with a wound to his chest, but his life was not in danger.

France
„Moulin Rouge”: One of Paris’s landmarks collapses!

Nunez expressed „grave concern” about the officers’ health and praised the „courage and responsiveness” of police station staff.

In response to a request from Agence France-Presse, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said that three investigations had been opened – one on charges of “attempted murder of women” and the other on “attempted murder of people who engage in public violence.”

The third investigation concerns the use of weapons by officers.

It was first reported at 4:04 a.m., and updated at 7:44 a.m.

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Pistorius in the USA: Three missile launchers for Ukraine

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Pistorius in the USA: Three missile launchers for Ukraine

As of: May 9, 2024 at 9:45 p.m

Defense Minister Pistorius announced the delivery of three missile launch systems to Ukraine during his visit to the United States. He assured his American colleague Austin of Germany’s greater military commitment.

Germany will pay for the delivery of three HIMARS rocket artillery systems from the United States to Ukraine. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced this decision in Washington after talks with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin.

“They come from US Armed Forces stocks and are paid for by us,” he said. The systems cost more than millions. HIMARS („High Mobility Artillery Rocket System”) is a multiple rocket launcher artillery system mounted on a truck chassis.

Boris Pistorius and Lloyd Austin in Washington.

Pistorius emphasizes Germany’s increasing commitment

Ahead of the NATO summit in July, Pistorius wants to use his trip to the United States and Canada to, among other things, correct the critical view of Germany that emerged in previous years and illustrate Germany’s stronger military commitment.

Pistorius stressed Germany’s readiness to bear more military responsibility for security in Europe and the world. He announced that Germany was ready to make „further contributions for a fair transatlantic burden-sharing.” He pointed to the achievement of NATO’s 2% target, the continued deployment of a combat-ready brigade in Lithuania and the Air Defense in Europe initiative initiated by Germany.

Meanwhile, during his meeting with Austin at the Pentagon, Pistorius called on the US government not to relax its shared commitment to Europe. Pistorius was received there with full military honours.

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Praise from Austin

In a speech at the Pentagon, Austin pointed to what Germany is doing to defend Ukraine and NATO, as well as security in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans.

“Whether it is deterring Kremlin aggression or promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region, our two proud democracies are moving forward,” Austin said, describing Germany as a “force for peace and security.” “Germany remains one of our strongest and most reliable partners,” he said.

Billion orders in the United States of America

The previous day, Pistorius visited a helicopter factory owned by Boeing Defense in Philadelphia. The CH47-F Chinook heavy transport helicopter is produced there. Germany has ordered 60 of them in the latest Block II variant for the German Army. In the future, they will be the backbone of the Air Force when it comes to transporting personnel and materials. Pistorius was assured that everything was on schedule and delivery could take place by 2027.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Germany has ordered weapons and equipment for the German army worth 23 billion euros from the United States. In total, there are about 380 contracts with US defense companies.

During the visit of European Parliament President Mitsula, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that Ukraine wants to take the initiative on the front after the arrival of Western weapons.

Ukraine wants to regain the initiative

With the arrival of Western weapons, Ukraine wants to regain the initiative on the front. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a press conference with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Mitsola, in Kiev that the Russian armed forces are currently launching an attack in eastern Ukraine, and this is not a secret.

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“As soon as the arms shipments arrive, we will stop their initiative,” Zelensky promised. But his army needs „something strong” to make this happen. An outdoor press conference in front of the presidential office was canceled shortly afterwards due to an air raid warning.

According to Zelensky, the Russian army is currently preparing for a major attack. For this purpose, forces will be gathered in the north and east of the front. However, not everything is going as well for the Russians as they thought. The Ukrainian president emphasized: “It is not that I want to raise your morale. This is the reality.”

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War in Gaza: Israel criticizes Joe Biden after threatening to stop arms supplies

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War in Gaza: Israel criticizes Joe Biden after threatening to stop arms supplies

US President’s announcement Joe BidenThe move to suspend arms sales to Israel if it invades densely populated residential areas in Rafah has drawn strong criticism from the Israeli government. Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on the X platform that the Islamic movement Hamas loves Biden.

In turn, Israeli opposition politicians criticized Ben Gvir for putting Israel in danger with such statements. However, Ben Gvir, who is considered a far-right extremist, is not a member of the war cabinet and therefore is not directly involved in key decisions in the Gaza war.

President Isaac Herzog also responded to Ben Gvir X’s post. “We must refrain from baseless, irresponsible and offensive comments and tweets,” he said.

The United States is said to have suspended the delivery of heavy bombs to Israel

Before Ben Gvir, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, had already expressed his disappointment with Biden’s announcement. Erdan told Israeli Kan radio: “This is a difficult and very disappointing statement from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war.” Biden’s announcement would give Israel’s enemies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran „hope of success.”

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Biden had told CNN that he supports a large-scale invasion of the southern city, which is crowded with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Gaza strip His country will not supply weapons. The US government had already detained a shipment of ammunition due to Israeli actions in Rafah. American media reported that the shipment included 3,500 bombs, including bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kg). According to analysts, Israel uses these devices in the war against Hamas, for example to destroy underground Islamist tunnels.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained to Congress on Wednesday that the United States expects Israel to take specific measures in Gaza to protect civilians. However, 2,000-pound bombs can cause „collateral damage.”

„Deep frustration” over limited US support

The news portal reported that senior Israeli officials expressed „deep frustration” over the seized shipment and warned that it could jeopardize indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Axios With reference to two anonymous sources.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote in a statement that Israel had received a reminder “that the war of independence is still ongoing.” When it was founded in 1948, the country also faced a US arms embargo. “Today we will once again achieve complete victory in this war, despite President Biden’s opposition and the arms embargo. We simply have no other choice because this war is an existential battle and anything less than comprehensive victory puts the existence of the United Nations at risk.” “The Jewish state will be put in danger,” Smotrich said.

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Follow all the current events in the war between Israel and Hamas on our live blog.

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