“The guard dies, IT does not surrender!”
The legendary cry, reportedly screamed by a general of The old guard at The battle of waterloo, exemplifies The old guard’s determination
For 200 years, historians and amateurs have been debating what general pierre Cambronne (17701842), who was commanding the last of the old guard at the Battle of Waterloo, might have replied to the British invitation to surrender. the officer had had a long career when he fought this battle.
Born on 26 december 1770, he volunteered to join the armies of the revolution in 1792. a colonel in 1806, he became the commander of the Voltigeurs of the guard in 1810 as well as being made a baron. Cambronne then fought with the guard in spain, russia and in germany.
When Napoleon was exiled to the island of elba, Cambronne followed as military commander. his fidelity was rewarded by the emperor, who made him a count. he was seriously wounded at the Battle of Waterloo and sent to Britain.
according to a journalist, Cambronne screamed at the British, “the guard dies, it does not surrender!” others, including Victor hugo in his
les misérables, argued that the gallant officer had screamed, “merde” (shit).
in fact, Cambronne denied both. it seems that he was in no shape to say such a thing, a fact confirmed by the British colonel who captured him. other witnesses claim that another old guard general, Claude-étienne michel (1772-1815), who led a chasseur division and was killed at Waterloo, might have said the sentence, “the guard dies, it does not surrender!”