---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was after Napoleon died because…"
description: "\"That was after Napoleon died because there is still a controversy as to whether Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic. And the French say the British did ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg"
---

#  That was after Napoleon died because there is still a…

![“That was after Napoleon died because there is still a controversy as to whether Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic. And the French say the British did it and the British say the French did it, but he died before the test for arsenic was available.” quote by Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg)

> “That was after Napoleon died because there is still a controversy as to whether Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic. And the French say the British did it and the British say the French did it, but he died before the test for arsenic was available.”

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote discusses the lingering debate over Napoleon’s cause of death, highlighting that arsenic testing was unavailable at the time, leading to competing national accusations.

**In simple terms:** People still argue about Napoleon’s death because arsenic tests didn’t exist then.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how limited evidence fuels ongoing controversy.

Themes

history controversy forensics

Mood

curious skeptical

Type

historical analytical

When to use this quote

- historical research
- museum exhibits
- academic debates
- media documentaries

Key Concepts

nationalism scientific limitation

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence would settle the dispute?
- How do national biases shape historical narratives?

A Different Perspective

Lack of forensic technology at the time prevents definitive answers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Arsenic French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arsenic-french-3119811/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy/) [Controversy Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy-napoleon-3119807/) [Died Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died-controversy-3119810/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon/) [Napoleon Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon-died-3119809/) [Napoleon Poisoned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon-poisoned-3119808/) [Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still/) [Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test/)

## Related quotes

> [Napoleon the Third was not much. He died in England, and was buried in a country church-yard much the same as Kiltartan. But Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gregory/napoleon-the-third-was-not-much-he-died-in-england-and-was-buried-in/)

[Lady Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gregory/)

> [“Culture isn't knowing when Napoleon died. Culture means knowing how I can find out in two minutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/culture-isn-t-knowing-when-napoleon-died-culture-means-knowing-how-i/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [Pitt the Younger was a great British Prime Minister. He saved Europe from Napoleon, he was the pilot who weathered the storm. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-heath/pitt-the-younger-was-a-great-british-prime-minister-he-saved-europe/)

[Edward Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-heath/)

> [“Mac had many admirable qualities, but not tact. He was the sort of man who would have tried to cheer Napoleon up by talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/mac-had-many-admirable-qualities-but-not-tact-he-was-the-sort-of-man/)

[P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/)

> [“There is one thing alone to do in this world and that is to keep acquiring money and more money, power and more power,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/there-is-one-thing-alone-to-do-in-this-world-and-that-is-to-keep/)

[Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/)

> [Napoleon was asked, "Who do you consider to be the greatest generals?" He responded saying, "The victors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/napoleon-was-asked-who-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-generals-he/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [“Greatness has its beauties, but only in retrospect and in the imagination": thus wrote General Bonaparte to General Moreau in 1800. His observation helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-christopher-herold/greatness-has-its-beauties-but-only-in-retrospect-and-in-the/)

[J. Christopher Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-christopher-herold/)

> [“Your Excellency, I have no need of this hypothesis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-excellency-i-have-no-need-of-this-hypothesis/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [History is powerful stuff. One day your world is fine. The next day it's knocked for a metaphysical loop. Was Napoleon really at Waterloo?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bromell/history-is-powerful-stuff-one-day-your-world-is-fine-the-next-day-it/)

[Henry Bromell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bromell/)

> [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that/)

[Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/)

> [The Emperor Napoleon, ascending gradually from his post of national magistrate to seat himself upon a throne without limits, seems to have wished to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/the-emperor-napoleon-ascending-gradually-from-his-post-of-national/)

[Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/)

> [“Never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself.’ Napoleon Bonaparte”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/never-interfere-with-an-enemy-while-he-s-in-the-process-of-destroying/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [“They are subjected to all manner of taxes: the tithe, the hearth tax and the capitation tax. When all those are paid, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-scarrow/they-are-subjected-to-all-manner-of-taxes-the-tithe-the-hearth-tax/)

[Simon Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-scarrow/)

> [“It can certainly be misleading to take the attributes of a movement, or the anxieties and contradictions of a moment, and to personalize or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-can-certainly-be-misleading-to-take-the-attributes-of-a-movement/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [“Napoleon, the man of genius, did this! But to say that he destroyed his army because he wished to, or because he was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/napoleon-the-man-of-genius-did-this-but-to-say-that-he-destroyed-his/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

## More by Michael Baden

> [I get involved if a problem comes up after the death has been investigated by the local authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/i-get-involved-if-a-problem-comes-up-after-the-death-has-been/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [That made me think I could contribute more to society by looking at people on the autopsy table and feeding back the findings so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/that-made-me-think-i-could-contribute-more-to-society-by-looking-at/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [It seemed ironic that Lowell Levine and I, who were both Jewish, were going over to identify the remains of a man who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/it-seemed-ironic-that-lowell-levine-and-i-who-were-both-jewish-were/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [Arsenic sticks around and today it's easily found after death if somebody thinks of looking for it, because the problem with arsenic, it isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/arsenic-sticks-around-and-today-it-s-easily-found-after-death-if/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [I don't have any personal upset at the death penalty as an abstraction, What I do realize is how many mistakes can be made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/i-don-t-have-any-personal-upset-at-the-death-penalty-as-an/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [It seemed ironic that Lowell Levine and I,who were both Jewish, were going over toidentify the remains of a man who was soanti-Semitic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/it-seemed-ironic-that-lowell-levine-and-i-who-were-both-jewish-were-2/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [The same expertise we learned at the autopsy table can be applied to living people who've been shot, battered, or raped. The search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/the-same-expertise-we-learned-at-the-autopsy-table-can-be-applied-to/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [We have 62 counties in New York State and each has its own system of death investigation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/we-have-62-counties-in-new-york-state-and-each-has-its-own-system-of/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [Tape is wonderful at preserving evidence - fingerprints, hairs, fibers. Tape preserves this, especially on the sticky side, even if the body's been out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/tape-is-wonderful-at-preserving-evidence-fingerprints-hairs-fibers/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

> [I saw why people died and how they died. I saw gunshot wounds and liver failure. It was a good learning experience, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/i-saw-why-people-died-and-how-they-died-i-saw-gunshot-wounds-and/)

[Michael Baden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

[Explore all 11 Michael Baden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/)

## More British quotes

> [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/)

[Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/)

> [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/)

[Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/)

[Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/)

> [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/)

[Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/)

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

> [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/)

[Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/)

> [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/)

[Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/)

> [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/)

[Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/)

> [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/)

[Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/)

> [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/)

[Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/)

[Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "That was after Napoleon died because there is still a controversy as to whether Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic. And the French say the British did it and the British say the French did it, but he died before the test for arsenic was available.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Baden"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-there-is-still-a-controversy-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "British"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-there-is-still-a-controversy-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/michael-baden-40299_british_that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-the_1944662.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That was after Napoleon died because there is still a controversy as to whether Napoleon was poisoned with…” — Michael Baden",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Michael Baden",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baden/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "That was after Napoleon died because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-there-is-still-a-controversy-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baden/that-was-after-napoleon-died-because-there-is-still-a-controversy-as/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
