Note 163 — ASOCIACIÓN Domingo F. Sarmiento
Reading edition
¡guerra a cuchillo! war to the knife! The Spanish general, José Palafox Melfi, defender of the city of Zaragoza against the besieging troops of Napoleon (1808-1809), being asked by the French general to surrender, answered with the famous words above mentioned. For this heroic defense of Zaragoza he was made Duke of Zaragoza.