The Dentist Who Saved an Empress

How to win friends, influence empires, and prevent cavities

Jenni Wiltz
Dec 15, 2020 · 8 min read
Empress Eugenie in her palace of St. Cloud, wearing a crinoline gown and a white veil.
Eugénie photographed by Gustave Le Gray, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

1870, Emperor Napoleon III of France did something really stupid: he declared war on Prussia. The Prussians — better armed, better trained — made short work of the French army. After trying and failing to get himself killed at Sedan, Napoleon III surrendered.