In September 1792, during the French Revolutionary Wars, the formidable Austro-Prussian army commanded by the Duke of Brunswick marched toward Paris to crush the revolution. Military experts expected a swift royalist victory against the inexperienced French National Guard. However, as the Prussian forces advanced through the Champagne region, severe logistics failures left their supply trains far behind on rain-slicked roads.
Desperate for sustenance, soldiers looted local vineyards, consuming vast quantities of green, unfermented grapes and draft champagne. The combination of acidic unfermented wine, damp autumn weather, and contaminated drinking water triggered a catastrophic outbreak of severe dysentery across the ranks. By September 20, when the Prussian army met the French artillery at the Battle of Valmy, over a third of Brunswick's force was incapacitated by severe gastrointestinal illness.
The heavy cannonade exchange proved indecisive, but the physical degradation of the troops made a continued march impossible. Brunswick ordered a retreat, preserving the young French Republic. What began as a routine campaign collapsed under the weight of terrible supply lines and an irresistible urge to feast on local vineyards.