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The 19-Year Duel: How Two Napoleonic Officers Turned a Petty Insult into History's Longest Rivalry
In 1794, a trivial insult sparked a 19-year duel between French officers Fournier and Dupont. Their pact led to over 30 battles across Europe amidst the Napoleonic Wars. The legendary rivalry ended not with a fatal blow, but with a surprising handshake and an unlikely friendship.
In the heart of the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars, a personal conflict raged that was as relentless as any military campaign. It was a feud between two gifted French cavalry officers, Pierre Dupont de l'Étang and François Fournier-Sarlovèze, that spanned 19 years, involved more than 30 individual combats, and crossed the length and breadth of Europe. This is the story of history's longest duel, a tale of honor, obsession, and a truly unexpected conclusion.
A Quarrel Born of Pride
The saga began in 1794 in Strasbourg. The two men were polar opposites. Dupont was a refined aristocrat, a gentleman officer. Fournier, who would later earn the nickname 'El Demonio' (The Demon) for his ferocity, was a hot-headed son of a shopkeeper with a notorious reputation as a duelist. The catalyst was mundane: Fournier, tasked with delivering a message to Dupont, felt slighted by Dupont's allegedly rude reception. Insults were exchanged, and Dupont, his honor impugned, challenged the infamous Fournier to a duel. With swords drawn, the two met for the first time as enemies. Fournier, the expert, was heavily favored, yet it was he who was seriously wounded in the encounter.
The Blood Pact
For Fournier, the defeat was an unbearable stain on his reputation. He refused to let the matter rest. Upon his recovery, he challenged Dupont again, and the two men forged an extraordinary pact. They signed an agreement stating that they would fight again and again, whenever they were within 100 miles of each other. This wasn't just a promise; it was a formal contract to pursue a private war, a commitment that would shadow them for nearly two decades.
War on Two Fronts
For the next 19 years, Dupont and Fournier fought their personal war across a continent aflame with the Napoleonic Wars. They were loyal soldiers of France, often fighting side-by-side in the Grande Armée against Austrians, Prussians, and Russians. Yet, their truce only extended to the battlefield. Once the smoke cleared, their private conflict would resume. They fought on horseback with sabers, on foot with swords, and at a distance with pistols. They wounded each other repeatedly, but neither could land a decisive, final blow. Their duel became a legend within the French army, a bizarre and deadly subplot to a world-changing historical epic.
The Final Confrontation
By 1813, both men were battle-hardened generals. Their final meeting came not on a field of honor, but through a twist of fate. Dupont was tasked with delivering official news to Fournier regarding the arranged marriage of Fournier's own sister. Arriving at Fournier's home, Dupont found his old rival in the garden, relentlessly practicing his swordsmanship for their next inevitable encounter. Dupont drew his sword and engaged Fournier one last time. In a swift and decisive move, Dupont disarmed 'The Demon,' pressing the point of his blade to his rival's throat. But instead of delivering the killing blow he had earned the right to over decades, he ended the war with words.
I will not kill you, but I will be done with you.
With that, he declared the duel, and their pact, officially over. Fournier, stunned by his defeat and perhaps weary from the years of hatred, simply agreed. The two men shook hands.
An Unlikely Reconciliation
The longest duel in history did not end with a death, but with a handshake. Reports suggest that the two generals, finally free from their obsessive pact, went on to become cordial, and some even say, good friends. Their incredible story of honor and absurdity became the inspiration for Joseph Conrad's 1908 novella, 'The Duel,' which was later adapted into Ridley Scott's acclaimed 1977 film, 'The Duellists.' It serves as a powerful reminder that even the most bitter and long-standing rivalries can end not in tragedy, but in a quiet moment of mutual respect.