The Napoleonic period has spawned many thousands of books on the subject, and it appears to have generated many myths over the years. One such concerns the chemistry of the buttons sewn on the breeches of Napoleon's soldiers. No doubt many a Chemistry teacher has regaled his pupils with this story over the years, and no doubt expected (and received) guffaws of laughter (Well! You'll do anything to get a good report for Chemistry at school won't you!).

The story is that one of the causes of Napoleon's downfall in Russia was that prolonged exposure to low temperatures caused an allotropic modification in the tin buttons of his soldiers' uniforms, from the metallic beta form to the much more brittle alpha form. Low temperatures, as experienced during the Russian winter, cause this change. One can imagine the consequent problems, particularly with the buttons on breeches!

The Dusty Archive

Introduction
Public Records Office
National Art Library
Musee de l'Armee, Paris
Future Museum Reports and Conference
Books
Memorials
Napoleonic Old Wives' Tale: Buttons