Imagine what it was like in days of yore, when a gentleman’s honor was defended with the razor-sharp steel of a sword. In those long ago days, an insulting word might very well be met with a challenge to duel to the death. Those were the days of chivalry. Those were the days of honor. Those were the days of… 1967.
No, that’s not a typo. The last official duel by sword fighting happened during the lifetime of many of our readers. What started as a war of words ended in a battle of the blade. The participants in this final curtain call to the age of chivalry were French politicians Gaston Defferre and Rene Ribière.
Politicians get on each other’s nerves all the time. If you want proof, see this article about the website that collects video clips of brawls that break out in parliamentary bodies around the world. In this particular case, the conflict between Defferre and Ribière began in the National Assembly, when Defferre told Ribière, “Shut up, stupid!” Well, technically, he yelled, “Taisez-vous, abruti!” We don’t know if Ribière understood English.
Ribière got his knickers in a twist. He demanded that Defferre apologize. Defferre refused. Ribière’s mother apparently never taught him, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Then again, maybe she did, but if Ribière didn’t understand English, it wouldn’t have made any sense. Regardless, the offended politician concluded that his honor demanded satisfaction. He challenged Defferre to a duel, using an épée (the largest type of sword used in fencing).
The date for the duel was set for April 21, 1967. The choice of date was important because Ribière was planning to be married the next day. Defferre publicly vowed to wield his sword in such a way that it would spoil his wedding night very considerably. Editor’s Note: We assumed this threat meant that Defferre planned on chopping up the happy couple’s wedding cake to the degree that there would be no leftovers to snack on after the wedding reception. We have been unable to find any indication that he attempted to carry out this threat, however. When we made further inquiries, it was suggested that we needed to talk with our parents and have them explain the meaning of Defferre’s threat.
The duel took place in a private property in Neuilly-sur-Seine, west of Paris. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jean de Lipkowskiin officiated. Fortunately, for posterity’s sake, a camera operator was on hand to capture the last official sword duel on video. (See below.)
Defferre was the first to draw blood with a strike to Ribière‘s arm. The duel continued. After about four minutes of combat, Defferre struck his opponent a second time on the arm. At this point, the duel was stopped, and Defferre was declared to be the winner. Presumably, he was confident that the injuries he had inflicted would seriously hinder Ribière‘s ability to enjoy wedding cake the subsequent evening.
The matter was considered settled, although the duelers never became friends. Defferre died in 1986, at the age of 75. Ribière died in 1996, at the age of 76. As of the time this article went to press, the fate of the wedding cake remains undetermined.
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