London
The British government has begun pardoning 306 soldiers who were executed for desertion or cowardice during World War I. The gruesomeness of trench warfare and poison-gas attacks in that conflict traumatized soldiers so severely that many became mentally ill with shell shock—now known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Some were briefly treated and then ordered back to the front lines, and if they refused to go, or broke down in battle, they were executed. Those soldiers are now being posthumously pardoned. “I am conscious of how the families of these men feel today,” said Defense Minister Des Browne. “They have had to endure a stigma for decades.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
After Israel's brazen Iran attack, what's next for the region and the world?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Following decades of saber-rattling, Israel's aerial assault on Iranian military targets has pushed the Middle East to the brink of all-out war
-
7 touring theater productions that are out to bring the joyThe Week Recommends 'Hamilton' and 'Wicked' never die, and neither does ABBA
-
College grads are seeking their first jobs. Is AI in the way?In The Spotlight Unemployment is rising for young professionals
