Until very recently, differences were settled in a duel to the death. We have the video of the last official fight

I would say that settling our differences with violence is an intrinsic and inherent part of being human. Solving our problems with duels to the death to see who ends up standing and who goes on to a “better life” is not so much, at least not in an unofficial way. In fact, this is Yes we have recordsThis is the story of an activity that tells us a lot about how lucky we have been to continue existing as a civilization, and of the last “official” duel and the historic video who filmed it.

First duels. The truth is that it is really difficult to mark the beginning of the duel to death, but we have clues. In Western society, the formal concept of mourning developed from the Medieval judicial duel and pre-Christian practices older, such as the holmgang of the viking ageIn medieval times, knights engaged in judicial duels to settle various disputes. Countries such as France, Germany, England and Ireland practiced this tradition.

In any case, the original basis of dueling was based on a code of honour, and was not so much about killing one’s opponent as about gaining “satisfaction” – that is, restoring honour by demonstrating a willingness to risk one’s life for it. As such, the tradition of dueling was reserved for male members of the nobility. Until the 18th century, duels were fought primarily with swords, thereafter duels were more commonly fought with pistols.

The first dueling code. It occurred in Italy, although the first formalized national code was that of France, during the Renaissance. From the late 1580s to the 1620s, an estimated 10,000 French people (most of them nobles) died in duelsBy the 17th century, dueling was considered the prerogative of the aristocracy throughout Europe, and attempts to discourage or suppress it generally failed.

Be that as it may, these The first codes were very similarestablishing the legitimate causes for a duel, the permitted weapons, the distance (and the number of shots later). Duelists often had sponsors who supervised compliance with the rules and negotiated in case of reconciliation. For example, in Japan samurai duels, known as “kettō”, They also followed a code of honorfocused on respect and martial skill, and could involve the use of swords.

Duels in America. Over there, during the 19th and early 20th centuriesduels were also common and followed specific codes, such as the so-called “Pando Code” In Mexico, dueling rules stipulated details about weapons and the conditions of the fight. In the United States, dueling was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in the South, and was also governed by a set of unwritten rules that prioritized honor.

In all cases, duels were considered a last resort for resolving personal disputes, and although some societies attempted to ban them, their practice persisted until they were finally replaced by modern legal systems in the 20th century.

The moment of ammunition. It began in England around 1770. Thus, dueling underwent a number of important changes. Firstly, unlike their counterparts from many continental nations, English duelists enthusiastically adopted the pistol and sword duels declined. For this purpose, special sets of dueling pistols were manufactured, always aimed at the wealthiest nobles.

Furthermore, the position of “second” became a “friend” chosen by the aggrieved parties to conduct their dispute of honor. These friends would attempt to resolve a dispute on terms acceptable to both parties and, in case of failure, would arrange and oversee the mechanics of the encounter.

Firearms regulations. The duelists, supported by these godfathers, faced each other at a predetermined distance, usually marked by counted steps. The conditions of the duel were agreed uponincluding the number of shots allowed and the weapons to be used, which had to be the same for both parties. Shots were fired after a clear signal, and the rules could allow for a single round or multiple rounds until one of the participants was injured or unable to continue.

It wasn’t a crime, or almost. Let’s take England as an example at that time. Killing in the course of a duel was formally considered murder, but as a general rule the courts were very lax when it came to enforcing the law, as they were sympathetic to the culture of honour. Although it was a criminal act, military officers in many countries could be punished if they did not engage in dueling when the occasion called for it.

The last duels, by country. In fact, there were as many as countries where it was practiced, but due to its importance, we are going to list the most recognizedFor example, it is believed that The last fatal duel in Canada was in 1833when Robert Lyon challenged John Wilson to say something about a schoolteacher. Wilson killed Lyon, and then married the teacher. The last fatal duel in England occurred in 1852.between two French political refugees, Frederic Cournet and Emmanuel Barthélemy. Barthélemy killed his adversary, and then hanged him for the offence.

The last duel to the death in the United States was in 1859.Former California Supreme Court Chief Justice David Terry shot and killed abolitionist Senator David Broderick. Terry was arrested, but the case was dismissed. Incidentally, the guns used were sold at auction in 1998 for $34,500.

The last official duel. Curiously, it doesn’t take long for this to happen (video above). It happened in the 20th century in France (1967) And we have the footage of it. Gaston Defferre, then mayor of Marseille and candidate for president, was speaking in parliament, when René Ribière began to fidget in his seat. “Shut up, you imbecile!” Defferre snapped at him. Ribière challenged Defferre to a sword duel. At this point it should be remembered that the sword had evolved from lighter civilian dueling weapons. These were developed under pressure from the authorities, to emphasise the first bloodstain, rather than the kill.

That final duel took place at a private residence in Neuilly-sur-Seine, and was officiated by Jean de Lipkowskiin. Ribière was to be married the following day and Defferre had sworn not to kill him, although he said that “he would wound him in such a way as to spoil his wedding night considerably.”

Outcome. Defferre, twelve years older than his adversary, offered blunt swords; Ribière demanded sharp swords. Ribière refused to stop when he suffered the first wound to his arm and began to bleed, but when it happened again, Lipkowskiin ended the fight.

No one died that day, and Defferre later became Minister of the Interior under François Mitterrand from 1981 to 1984, dying of natural causes on 7 May 1986, aged 75. Ribière, meanwhile, died on Christmas Day aged 76.

Curiously, the two men who had fought for her honor were forever united as the last couple to face each other in an official duel.

Image | Ilya RepinPublic Domain, Yoshifusa Utagawa, Adrian Volkov

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