Military Executions during World War I [Hardcover]

Three hundred and fifty-one men were executed by British Army firing-squads between September 1914 and November 1920. By far the greatest number were shot for desertion in the face of the enemy. Controversial even at the time, these executions of soldiers amid the horrors of the Western Front continue to haunt the history of war. This book provides a critical analysis of military law in the British army and other major armies during the First World War, with particular reference to the use of the death penalty. This study establishes a full cultural and legal framework for military discipline and compares British military law with French and German military law. It includes case studies of British troops on the Frontline.Introduction 'The administration of discipline by the English is very rigid': British Military Law and the Death Penalty 1868-1918 Military Discipline and the Nation at War Military Theory and Redefining Troop Morale Morale, Discipline and the Death Penalty on the Frontline Discipline and Morale in the Three Armies: Case Studies of Three British Infantry Divisions Conclusion

'This is the first truly scholarly - and historical - analysis of the use of the death penalty in the British Army during the Great War. Dr Oram sets the subject in its proper context. The book will be a welcome addition to an area of continuing controversy and public interest.' - John M. Bourne, Centre for First World War Studies, University of Birmingham

'This is most welcome, careful study which should become required for anyone seriously interested in the Great War and in military history.' - Contemporary Review

GERARD ORAM is a lecturer in the history Department at the Open University and has written extensively about military punishments, the development of military law in western civilisations and its impact on societies. His approach is that of a criminologist rather than a military historian and this has enabled him to bring a fresh pel“`