DiotimosReading Desk

Death

Conquer or die, conquer and die

vaincre ou mourir; vaincre et mourir

The substitution of et for ou is the entire argument.

From the book

The Gods Are Athirst

Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Meaning

Related words and phrases.

The substitution of et for ou is the entire argument. The first formula presents victory and death as alternatives; Gamelin’s revision makes them compatible and jointly expected. He foresees that those who claim to have secured the Republic may not survive its victory. This is his bitter self-understanding, not a neutral account of all revolutionary destinies. Both complete phrases should be retrievable because reducing the entry to either conjunction would lose the slogan being transformed.

Places to read

  1. Chapter XXV, paragraph 6FrenchVaincre ou mourir: Conquer or die. The formula Gamelin recalls as their earlier expectation.
  2. Chapter XXV, paragraph 6Frenchvaincre et mourir: conquer and die. His correction makes death accompany rather than replace victory.