General of the French Empire. He fought during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era. Severely wounded of the battle of Waterloo (1815), he was taken prisoner by the British, who asked him to surrender; history has it he answered, "La garde meurt et ne se rend pas !" ("The guard dies and does not surrender!") or, second version, that he uttered the word "merde !" ("shit!"), which became known in French speaking countries as the polite euphemism "le mot de Cambronne" ("the word of Cambronne")... The irony is Cambronne always denied both possibilities!
General of the French Empire. He fought during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era. Severely wounded of the battle of Waterloo (1815), he was taken prisoner by the British, who asked him to surrender; history has it he answered, "La garde meurt et ne se rend pas !" ("The guard dies and does not surrender!") or, second version, that he uttered the word "merde !" ("shit!"), which became known in French speaking countries as the polite euphemism "le mot de Cambronne" ("the word of Cambronne")... The irony is Cambronne always denied both possibilities!
Advertisement
Advertisement
