Ezéchiel du Mas, Comte de Mélac

Who was Ezéchiel du Mas, Comte de Mélac?

Ezéchiel du Mas, Comte de Mélac was a career soldier in the French army under King Louis XIV and war minister Louvois.

He became notorious for mercilessly and brutally executing the French policy of destroying the enemy's lands rather than seeking major military engagements. The southwestern part of Germany, the Palatinate, the Margraviate of Baden, and the Duchy of Württemberg especially suffered from Mélac's execution of Louvois's order to "brûlez le Palatinat!". Under his command, numerous German towns and villages were set on fire and the livelihood of the population was destroyed. In present southwestern Germany, Mélac's name became a synonym for "murderer and arsonist". As a lasting result, until today, "Mélac" has also been turned into a common dog name in this part of Germany. He is considered the godfather of the French-German enmity that ultimately contributed to causing the two World Wars.