Question: How did disease affect the outcome of the Haitian Revolution?

Answer: Though diseases are only tiny microbes they virtually shape history in many ways. When Napolean took power of France in the early 1800’s and tried to reinstate a form a slavery back on the island through his brother Leclerc, yellow fever virtually killed off much of the French army including Leclerc himself. Though the Haitians had greater numbers and used guerilla war tactics the French still had better weapons and a better-trained army. It was because of the tropical diseases that the French army had no immunity too that the Haitian were able to secure their independence from France.

The disease is even mentioned after the written part of Napolean’s plan for the island on page 178. “Little went as Bonaparte planned, however. The resistance of Louverture and his partisans was fiercer and more successful than the French expected, the war against them dragged on for many months and cost the French significant casualties. Several weeks after writing the following letters, Leclerc died of yellow fever that had taken so many of his troops.”

Because of the massive loss of troops either from disease or warfare Leclerc in his final days even begs Napolean for more troops and reduces itself to more vicious tactics. This is seen in a final letter to Napolean on page 179. “If you wish to be master of Saint-Domingue, you must send me twelve thousand men without wasting a single day….If you cannot send me the troops I have asked for, and by the time I have requested, Saint-Domingue will be forever lost to France.”

In conclusion, the reason was Napolean ultimately failed at taking back power in Haiti was that the Haitians were fierce in their resistance and the huge loss that the French army took from yellow fever. Many of the French soldiers were not immune or even accustomed to tropical diseases like yellow fever compared to native Haitians. Because of this, they became more desperate and vicious, but even then they inevitably had to cut their losses and retreat leaving Haiti to itself.