"Ezéchiel du Mas, Comte de Mélac (about 1630, Sainte-Radegonde, Gironde – 10 May 1704) was a career soldier in the French army under King Louis XIV ...
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and war minister Louvois during the Nine Years' War.
He became notorious for mercilessly and brutally executing the French policy of devastating 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, "brûlez le Palatinat!" (French: "Burn the Palatinate down!"). 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's name in this part of Germany. "Lack[e]l" (i.e. "oaf", if translated friendly) is a swearword common to the day in almost all of southern Germany and said to be derived from "Melac" as its diminutive." - (en.wikipedia.org 24.11.2021)
