Dueling in France and Germany

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Dueling in France and Germany
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I. Dueling in Britain

• Comes to an end in 1844
• they dont choose that route for defining
• masculinity and social hierarchy
• masculinity of commercial competition
• team sports alternative

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II. Dueling in France

• Increasing popularity of dueling in late 19th
  century
• 1. opportunity for bourgeois honor
• 2. earning distinction in republican society
• 3. relation to popularity of fencing

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II. Dueling in France

• B. Dueling is egalitarian in France
• 1. no social requirement
• -- but you must know the rules
• 2. inclusion in masculine community
• --equality of courage-- sangfroid
• --excluding the unknowing and dishonorable

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II. Dueling in France

• C. The nature of dueling in France
• 1. roughly 200 per year
• a. only about 10 are pistols and 1 saber
• b. few fatalities
• c. considered honorable to miss on purpose

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III. Dueling in Germany

• A. In many respects the opposite of France
• 1. the bourgeois adopt rather than adapt
• aristocratic idea of honor
• 2. dueling is NOT egalitarian it is meant to
• establish a distinctly noble caste
• 3. dueling is much more serious, and more
• dangerous. Most are pistol duels with
• multiple rounds
• 4. Duels are illegal, but Kaiser is openly
  supportive
• and courts reluctant to prosecute if done
• according to the codes of dueling.

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III. Dueling in Germany

• B. Types of Dueling in Germany
• 1. Pistol duels
• a. mostly officers, ex-officers or reservists
• --closely linked to ideals of
• military/aristocratic honor
• b. about 200 per year, but up to 25 mortality
• c. courage had to be real
• d. different levels of offense, but integrity
  of
• body and reputation are highest order

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III. Dueling in Germany

• B. Types of Dueling in Germany
• 2. Mensur
• a. student clubs
• b. elite membership--only about 6,000 out of
• 60,000 university students
• c. stand and take the punishment
• d. mark of honor--the schmiss

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