History of duels: the dueling code and the most famous duelists.

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When a person is sure that if he doesn’t punch someone in the jaw who is “wrong,” he is usually called a rowdy, a hooligan, or a patient (depending on the details of what he committed). But at certain times in certain societies such relations developed when people who killed those who “cruelly insulted” them enjoyed a scandalous, but not always negative, reputation.

Top 10 most famous duelists

1. Louis de Clermont, Seigneur d'Amboise, Count of Bussy. Famous by the pen of Dumas the Father and Russian cinema, Count Bussy in life was a much more scandalous and unpleasant person. For example, during the Night of St. Bartholomew, he “quietly” killed seven of his relatives in order to receive their inheritance, some of them being devout Catholics. In duels, he sometimes fought simply out of mood - “the reason for the duel could barely fit on a fly’s foot,” as contemporaries wrote. When, as a result of well-known events, he was killed by Count Monsoreau, not a single relative of Bussy took revenge on him or even simply filed a complaint - the entire Parisian society was delighted that they had gotten rid of this odious character.

2. François de Montmorency, Comte de Boutville. Contrary, again, to the work of Dumas the Father and Soviet cinema, under Cardinal Richelieu in France, duels were very, very harsh - the death penalty was imposed for one participation in it. Of course, if the “character” was young, handsome, noble and rich, and, moreover, “close to persons,” then he was given concessions. But when Boutville took part in his most famous (also his last) duel on the Place Royale in Paris (in broad daylight and in front of all the honest people), he had already been a participant in 21 duels and was under “forgiveness” for the last one. So this time the cardinal decided to teach everyone an object lesson - the count was publicly executed by beheading.

3. Hercule Savignen Cyrano de Bergerac. Again a face promoted by a romantic writer, this time Rostand. Although during his lifetime Cyrano (this is his last name, by the way) was also known as a poet and writer in letters - he wrote satires, philosophical treatises and even science fiction works. But besides this, as well as his legendary nose, which entered all the annals, Bergerac was known as a brawler and a duelist. He became famous for his famous drunken bet that he alone would fight a hundred people. It is clear that finding a hundred dexterous fighters was both difficult and too brutal - they armed the commoners who were attacked by the ferocious poet. I had to fight with the first six or seven - after they were defeated, the rest stupidly fled from fear. But Cyrano won the bet.

4. Tycho Ottesen Bra (Brage). The French, the nobles, the slackers - why shouldn’t they duel? But here is a man of science, a representative of such a quiet armchair discipline as astronomy... Alas, young Tycho’s temperament took after his Viking ancestors, and his upbringing in the family of his uncle-admiral made itself felt. While studying in Leipchishche (aka Leipzig) and Wittenberg, Bra, as a student, dueled, so much so that in one of the fights part of his nose was cut off... And the famous luminary of Danish astronomy wore a silver prosthesis for the rest of his life so as not to shine on people with their “inner world”.

5. Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy "American". He became an “American” in his youth when, as a naval officer, he took part in Krusenstern’s journey. Well, as he accepted it - for his riotousness and lewdness, the admiral dropped him off in Kamchatka and then sailed on without him. Tolstoy nevertheless visited America, reaching the Aleutian Islands, where the natives “gave him tattoos” (he then proudly showed them to everyone), after which he returned to Russia. Where he began to “live life” in two noble pursuits - cheating at cards and dueling. The exact number of fights with his participation is unknown, but he killed approximately 11 people in them - then, in old age, when 11 small children died one after another, the “American” was sure that this was God’s punishment, and he became quiet and devout ... And yes, they first had a fight with Pushkin, and then became friends.

6. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Yes, yes, my dears, “our everything” was one of the very best here too - “literary scholars” meticulously counted that the “sun of Russian poetry” received (or sent) a challenge to a duel 20 more times before “that very” fatal duel . True, only four of them took place, for Pushkin had many friends who loved him, and they always desperately worked for the reconciliation of the parties (even the first challenge to Dantes was “arranged in a family way”). But, nevertheless, Alesan-Sergeich had a reputation as an excellent shooter, and some of his friends, having learned about the poet’s upcoming duel with some pimply cavalry guard, just shrugged their shoulders - yes, he’s like a fly...

7. Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen. An evil person is evil in everything and always. The one who in his old age unleashed endless wars and massacres, in his youth was a gopnik, an overly aggressive young man. At the University of Gottingen, where his relatives sent young Otto, naturally, for useful knowledge, he spent almost all his time in drunkenness, brawls and fights. Bismarck took part in 27 duels, lost only two, and only in one did he get a “mark” on his face - the scar on his cheek remained for life. True, the fights of the burshes were rather a vicious sport - the equipment, weapons and rules excluded the “lethal outcome”, leaving virtually only those same cheeks and forehead accessible to the “impact” of blades...

8. Benito Mussolini. It was Hitler who, as a child, was a mentally unstable, whiny sketch artist. Mussolini was an angry, pugnacious communist-socialist (and later a fascist), who almost immediately put his hands into action. Including duels, which in Italy were (as elsewhere, in fact) prohibited, but nevertheless happened periodically. The last and most famous fight of the future Duce was the 1921 duel with the socialist deputy Ettore Ciccotti. It was solemnly published in the newspapers, so the police showed up to stop the troublemakers. But they locked themselves in the house and... for an hour and a half (!) they stabbed each other with swords. As a result, Ciccotti was so exhausted that his heart became bad, and Mussolini was able to easily wound him. Actually, like many things in the life of the Duce, this event simultaneously looks like a drama and a farce.

9. Otto Skorzeny. Religious people may believe that “God marks the rogue.” The most famous SS Standartenführer after Stirlitz, the leader and executor of high-profile “special operations” (including the kidnapping of Mussolini), was an Austrian by birth and origin and studied in Vienna in the 1920s. And the studio people there didn’t find anything smarter than to continue the practice of duels with or without reason (apparently, everyone wanted to be like Bismarck). Skorzeny took part in 15 fights, and in one of them his cheek was so cut that the famous terrifying scar remained a “trademark” for the rest of his life.

10. Julie d'Aubigny, Mademoiselle de Maupin. Finally, the most famous female duelist. Women's fights have never been particularly rare - ladies are susceptible to anger at each other no less than gentlemen, and sometimes “it broke through.” But Julie, who after she began “singing in the theater” took the pseudonym “Mademoiselle de Maupin,” encroached “on the sacred” - she could easily fight with a man and even kill him. Because, among other things, she loved to walk around in men's clothes and “run into trouble.” Her most famous fight is the murder of three nobles at a royal ball. Either they were trying to take the “raging” vixen in a man’s suit (again) into the garden, where they “got theirs,” or they were jealous of some beauty (Julie was also a famous “lesbian” of her time), the result for They were so deplorable that the actress even had to flee to Brussels for several years to avoid imminent execution.

Fights between rivals were commonplace at all times - among various classes and different nations. In some places they fought only until first blood was drawn (like, for example, the Vikings), and in others they fought until the death of one of the duelists. In some countries, the fights took place in the presence of many spectators, while in others they were held in complete secret. The weapons could also be very diverse. (website)

Psychology of duelists

An interesting thing: if two people get together and punch each other, this is considered undignified behavior. And if two fighters have a duel, this speaks of their honor and dignity. Of course, some people thought that duelists were just bullies who set a bad example, but many people believed that this is how real men should behave.

Over time, duels became the main way to resolve private conflicts, which is why many people died. In a number of countries, duels were prohibited by law, but were still carried out. There were even rules for conducting them. For example, in 1836 In France, a special code for duelists was issued, although duels themselves were already officially prohibited here. And this code was successfully adopted not only in France, but also in many other countries of the world, for example, in Russia.

The rules strictly regulated the behavior of combatants, who previously could trip the enemy, hit him in the back, and even finish off the wounded. Also, according to the rules, when challenged to a duel, the offender should be hit in the face or a white glove thrown at his feet. After this, the “scene of action” was chosen, a doctor and two seconds were invited, one of whom was appointed as the manager. Duelists were allowed to be no more than fifteen minutes late for the duel. When everyone was in place, the manager traditionally turned to the opponents with a proposal to make peace. If they refused, then a weapon was selected for the duel and the distance was measured. The fighters dispersed to the barriers and, after the manager’s command, shot at each other.

Before the duel, they also agreed on whether they would shoot simultaneously or alternately. Usually shooting was carried out from thirty steps. Sometimes both opponents were injured or even killed.

If they shot in turn, then the first shot was fired by the one who challenged the duel. The one who was called could discharge his weapon into the air. A wounded duelist was allowed to shoot while lying down. If both opponents remained alive and unharmed, they shook hands and dispersed.

In addition to firearms, duelists also used edged weapons - swords, sabers, knives. Some originals used axes, canes, razors, candelabra, and so on to sort out relationships. However, in such battles it was not easy for the seconds to monitor the actions of the fighters, and in addition, the strengths of the duelists often turned out to be unequal. Therefore, most rivals tried not to resort to this kind of weapon.

Prohibition of duels

Duels were banned in France in the 16th century. The reason for this was the death of thousands and thousands of aristocrats. Similar laws were also in force in other states, but everything was in vain...

If the authorities became aware of the duel, they roughly punished the duelists so that others would be discouraged. Cardinal Richelieu, for example, introduced the death penalty for them, which in rare cases was replaced by exile with complete confiscation of property. This applied not only to the duelists, but also to the seconds and spectators.

Under Peter the Great, Russia also introduced (for the first time) the death penalty for participating in a duel, and according to the decree of Catherine the Great, those guilty were either exiled to Siberia or imprisoned. Nicholas II sent duelists to war as privates.

However, it was all in vain. Moreover, in Russia they began to shoot without doctors, without seconds, from a distance of ten steps! Having fired once, the opponents did not disperse, but fought “until they hit.” It is clear that most duels ended in someone's death.

Women's duels

Surprisingly, among the duelists there were also women who fought even more severely and more sophisticated than men: women’s fights much more often ended in death. Often they turned into a real massacre with the participation of seconds and fellow spectators. If they fought with swords, the tip of the weapon was often moistened with poison, but if they shot, then until they were seriously wounded or someone died.

The famous opera singer Julie d'Aubigny fought many duels with ladies and even men. Once at a ball she competed against three opponents and managed to injure them. To avoid execution, Julie had to spend several years outside of France.

The stories are well known and quite funny. For example, the one that happened because of the composer Franz Liszt between his lover Marie d'Agoux and the loving French writer George Sand. These determined ladies chose... their long nails as a weapon. The duel took place in Liszt’s house, and the composer himself was holed up in his office at that time. "Duel on Nails" ended in a draw; Having yelled and pretty much scratched each other, the ladies went their separate ways. After this, George Sand no longer sought Liszt's favor.

How about this fact: the Empress Catherine II we mentioned, who prohibited duels in Russia, in her youth (before her accession to the throne) participated in an armed duel and more than once served as a second for other ladies.

The most famous men's duels

A.S. Pushkin participated in more than a hundred duels. Many were his opponents famous people of that time (for example, Kuchelbecker), but the last for the poet was a duel with Dantes, who spread evil jokes about Pushkin and his family. Having received a mortal wound, the Russian genius died two days later.

The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who lived during the Renaissance, once fought with swords with a relative who managed to cut off part of his nose. Brahe spent his entire subsequent life with a silver prosthetic nose...

Lermontov and Martynov were considered friends, which, however, did not save them from the fatal duel. The reason for the confrontation was the jokes that the poet made about Martynov. The result of all this turned out to be far from funny: the bullet pierced Lermontov’s heart and lungs...

Two English gentlemen - Member of Parliament Humphrey Howarth and nobleman Earl Barrymore - quarreled in a pub and decided to duel. Howarth, a former army surgeon, showed up completely naked, although he was no joker, much less a pervert. It’s just that, as a physician, he knew that the wounded die, as a rule, not from the wounds themselves, but from an infection contracted from their clothing. Seeing his opponent in this form, Count Barrymore burst out laughing and announced that he would not shoot at a naked man, and also did not want to be killed by him. The duel thus did not take place.

Alexandre Dumas took part in a rather peculiar duel: the loser by lot had to kill himself. The famous writer was unlucky. Dumas went into another room and fired into the air, after which he returned and announced that he was aiming for the temple, but missed.

The seventh American president, Andrew Jackson, fought a duel as a young man with a man who insulted his wife. Andrew was shot in the chest and surgeons were unable to remove the bullet. She stayed with Jackson for the rest of her life...

The duel of minions (close French king Henry III) with the Guizards (supporters of the Duke of Guise), in which four participants were killed and two were seriously wounded. By order of the king, a marble monument was erected on the grave of the victims.

A French aristocrat, also a handsome man and a womanizer, Comte de Boutville fought duels twenty times, and this despite the fact that Cardinal Richelieu banned them in the country under penalty of death. Of course, Richelieu knew about all these fights of his favorite and constantly forgave him. However, for the twentieth time, Boutville crossed all boundaries, staging a showdown in broad daylight, and in large cluster Parisians. The cardinal simply could not forgive this without damaging his reputation. And the count's head was publicly cut off.

The first German chancellor, Bismarck, also fought duels; in twenty-seven duels, he lost only two battles, receiving minor injuries. By the way, in Germany at that time only duels with a fatal outcome were prohibited, but those that resulted in minor injuries were not.

But the most remarkable duel in the world took place in 1808, it took place on balloons. The young people did not share the lady and decided to sort things out in this original way. The winner in this fight was not the most accurate, but the most cunning shooter, who shot at the ball - and his opponent simply crashed.

And finally, it is worth saying that in many countries Latin America fights were banned only at the turn of the millennium, that is, quite recently, but in Paraguay they are still allowed to this day...

Fights between rivals were commonplace at all times - among different classes and different peoples. In some places they fought only until first blood was drawn (like, for example, the Vikings), and in others they fought until the death of one of the duelists. In some countries, the fights took place in the presence of many spectators, while in others they were held in complete secret. The weapons could also be very diverse.

Before the duel, they also agreed on whether they would shoot simultaneously or alternately. Usually shooting was carried out from thirty steps. Sometimes both opponents were injured or even killed.

Prohibition of duels

Women's duels

Stories are known and quite funny women's duels. For example, the one that happened because of the composer Franz Liszt between his lover Marie d'Agoux and the loving French writer George Sand. These determined ladies chose... their long nails as a weapon. The duel took place in Liszt’s house, and the composer himself was holed up in his office at that time. "Duel on Nails" ended in a draw; Having yelled and pretty much scratched each other, the ladies went their separate ways. After this, George Sand no longer sought Liszt's favor.

The most famous men's duels

A.S. Pushkin participated in more than a hundred duels. His opponents were many famous people of that time (for example, Kuchelbecker), but the last for the poet was a duel with Dantes, who spread evil jokes about Pushkin and his family. Having received a mortal wound, the Russian genius died two days later.

A fairly well-known duel between the minions (close associates of the French king Henry III) and the Guizars (supporters of the Duke of Guise), in which four participants were killed and two were seriously wounded. By order of the king, a marble monument was erected on the grave of the victims.

A French aristocrat, also a handsome man and a womanizer, Comte de Boutville fought duels twenty times, and this despite the fact that Cardinal Richelieu banned them in the country under penalty of death. Of course, Richelieu knew about all these fights of his favorite and constantly forgave him. However, for the twentieth time, Boutville crossed all boundaries, staging a showdown in broad daylight, and in front of a large crowd of Parisians. The cardinal simply could not forgive this without damaging his reputation. And the count's head was publicly cut off.

But the most remarkable duel in the world took place in 1808, it took place in hot air balloons. The young people did not share the lady and decided to sort things out in this original way. The winner in this fight was not the most accurate, but the most cunning shooter, who shot at the ball - and his opponent simply crashed.

And in the end, it is worth saying that in many countries of Latin America, fights were banned only at the turn of the millennium, that is, quite recently, but in Paraguay they are still allowed to this day...

Defending one's honor through a duel has always been considered a noble cause. Among the duels, a top list of the most unusual ones has been compiled. It is also known about the most curious, most terrible and fastest duel.

Top most unusual duels

Duels have been known since the times of the Vikings. They called them “holmring”. The battle, carried out on the top of the hill, ended with the appearance of the first blood. After this, the loser was obliged to pay the winner a certain amount.

Despite the fact that over time duels were officially prohibited in many countries around the world, they were still carried out. Rivals believed that this was the only way to find out who was right, defend honor, determine the winner in a dispute, and so on. Unusual duels were in fashion. Next, let's look at some of them included in the top.

The most interesting and fastest duel

There is a known duel that took place in the fourteenth century between two friends, one of whom was already dead. The names of these friends are Jacques Chevantier and Andre Marchand. Together they went hunting, however, only Chevantier returned back.

Many noticed that after this event, the missing friend’s dog, for unknown reasons, began to be very aggressive towards Chevantier. This was regarded as a challenge to a duel. The dog allegedly wanted to take revenge on his owner’s friend for killing Marchant. Chevantier accepted the challenge. He took a club with metal spikes as a weapon, and the dog took his own teeth. As soon as the dog was released, it sank its teeth into its opponent's throat. Andre Marchand died, but before his death he managed to confess that it was he who killed his friend.

The most terrible duel

The most terrible and unusual duel took place in Africa. The subject of the dispute was the girl. The Africans, who had never swam more than a hundred meters before the duel, decided to compete in swimming. They sailed on boats about five kilometers from the seashore and jumped into the water. The seconds watched the progress of the duel.

I must say that everything was not at all harmless, since the water was infested with sharks. Soon the seconds realized that the duelists urgently needed to be pulled out of the water. Although they were exhausted, they were both alive. The sharks didn't have time to eat them.

Duel with the most ridiculous type of weapon

General Bismarck decided to challenge a certain scientist named Rudolf Virchow to a duel. In itself, such a challenge was non-standard, since Bismarck held a very high position, being the Chancellor of Germany, and the scientist headed the opposition liberal party. Since, according to this scientist, Bismarck was fluent in any weapon, ordinary sausages were chosen for the competition, one of which would be with poison.

The scientist proposed to eat one sausage each during a duel, after which fate would decide which of them would live and which would die. Bismarck refused this duel, because he believed that a hero could not die after overeating.

"Skirt Fight"

Duels also happened between representatives of the fairer sex. One of these fights took place after a harmless tea party in France between two friends. Lady Braddock and Mrs. Elphinstone became the duelists. The reason for the duel was that one of the friends described the appearance of the other in the past tense, namely, she said that she used to be a beautiful woman.

Considering such words offensive to herself, the offended woman challenged her friend to a duel. They immediately went to Hyde Park with the intention of shooting with pistols. Lady Braddock's hat was shot through, however, she insisted that the duel continue with swords. Soon after the fight began, Braddock slightly wounded her offender. The wounded offender also brought her a written apology.

An unusual duel of the mid-twentieth century

Even in the twentieth century, duels took place from time to time. It is known about a duel that took place in the middle of last time in America. Both duelists are farmers who fell in love with the same girl. They chose cars as their weapons. The lovers planned to accelerate and drive towards each other at great speed. They chose a plateau as the place for the duel.

At this duel, in addition to the seconds, there was also a girl present, who became the subject of a dispute among the young and ardent farmers. Having accelerated, they decided to turn off at the last moment, thus preventing the instant death of both. The duelists continued to fight, trying to push each other into the abyss while sitting behind the wheel. One of the lovers and the car soon flew into the abyss, while the winner had to go to prison for fifteen years. The girl became the wife of the bus driver, who kindly gave her a ride when she was returning from this duel.

The most unusual duel in history: balloon battle

Perhaps the most unusual duel took place in the air over Paris. Two contenders for the diva's heart decided to rise in balloons and shoot each other. We are talking about Monsieur de Picquet and Monsieur de Grandpré. Each of them took a second with them.

First after the necessary approach balloons managed to shoot Monsieur de Grandpré. The ball in which Monsieur de Piquet was with his second caught fire and collapsed. It should be noted that the diva did not appreciate the duel that took place, leaving the city with the third contender for her heart.

Mass confrontations are also interesting. .
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