Archive for September 1st, 2017
September 1st, 2017
Headsman
On this date in 1914, Captain Frédéric Henri Wolff became the first French soldier fusillé pour l’exemple during World War I.
One week before, surrounded by the devastating German advance, Wolff had struck a white handkerchief to the tip of his saber and attempted to brandish it for surrendering the 36th Colonial Infantry Regiment . Wolff was no greenhorn a-panic; he was 45 years old, a career officer who received the Legion of Honor and had been decorated for his part in the French campaigns in Indochina.
Other officers pulled down the sigil and orchestrated a successful retreat … after which Wolff was court martialed for cowardice.
Shot at Remenoville , he was not only the first person of nearly 1,000 executed by the French military in the Great War, but also the highest-ranking officer so handled. Attempts to rehabilitate him officially date to the 1930s, but have thus far never been successful.
On this day.. 1938: Nikolai Bryukhanov, hung by his balls - 20201662: Claude Le Petit, dirty poet - 20191999: David Leisure, mob war veteran - 20181876: Hillary Page, the Chesterfield fire fiend - 20161944: Jacques Stosskopf - 20151916: Kosta Kromphold - 20141942: Henryk Landsberg, Lvov Judenrat - 20131987: Moses Jantjies and Wellington Mielies, after the Langa massacre - 20121863: Peyton Farquhar, in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge - 20111714: Maria Mouton and her slave Titus, lovers - 20101851: Narciso Lopez, filibuster - 20091538: Cratwell, a hangman - 2008Entry Filed under: 20th Century ,Capital Punishment ,Death Penalty ,Execution ,France ,History ,Milestones ,Military Crimes ,Shot ,Soldiers ,Wartime Executions
Tags: 1910s , 1914 , frederic wolff , remenoville , september 1 , world war i
Archives Archives
Select Month
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
Categories
Recent Comments