Monty Python got some good alliterative mileage out of that term in their movie “And Now For Something Completely Different.” One sequence in the movie is a fake WWII British newsreel, in black and white, with suitably bombastic narration that includes the opening line “Yes, the war against the Hun continues – and as Britian’s brave boys battle against the Boche…” By the standards of genuine WWII newsreels, that’s actually not as over-the-top as it sounds to modern ears. And during a real WWII deception operation, the fake letter from General Nye to General Alexander which was the centrepiece of the “Mincemeat” disinformation scheme used such phrases as “We have had recent information that the Boche have been reinforcing and strengthening their defences in Greece and Crete…”
The Battle of Nancy ends 100 years of Burgundian threat to te French crown
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On the 5th January 1477 Charles the Bold died in battle at at Nancy in Eastern France.
The English called him the Bold, because he challenged his King Louis XI’s authority and dreamed of resurrecting the ancient Kingdom of Lotharingia(of Charlemagne’s empire). His ancestors had all stood against their King and he was the most ambitious of them. He had many titles, but it is as the Duke of Burgundy that he is best known.
His life’s ambition was thwarted as his King, Louis XI, who was known as the Universal Spider, for his ingenious and deceitful webs of deceit in diplomacy, had allied with Burgandy’s erstwhile ally, England. The King was also able to ally with Rene’ of Lorraine in 1471, who managed to hire hoards of the ferocious and mercenary Swiss to his ranks.
Twice in 1476, Charles was beaten by these legendary Pikemen. He did not give up hope and foolishly tried holding on, when retreat was the better option.
His last battle against poor odds was today. His naked body was found in the snow, after the battle, with his face cut by an axe from ear to jaw.He had first been unhorsed as he had two lance wounds too. Wolves had begun to gnaw at his body.
He was 43 and France was now closer to unification, with the ambitious and unloyal house of Burgundy out of its way. -
@wittmann:
His life’s ambition was thwarted as his King, Louis XI, who was known as the Universal Spider
My goodness – that would make a terrific name for a modern comic book supervillain. Thanks for this interesting nickname.
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Evening Marc. He sounds like a great medieval character and I love reading about these extraordinary people and the times in which they lived.