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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Time-honored political tactic: Throw your wife under the bus'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Best non-alcoholic spirits for summer cocktailsThe Week Recommends As hard liquor takes a backseat for many, the ingredients for the perfect mocktail are dryly delicious
-
Will Biden's tariffs hinder China's EV dominance?Today's Big Question Climate change goals and American jobs in tension
