Andreas Hofer - Court Martial and Execution

Court Martial and Execution

Officers holding the court martial disagreed on the exact sentence until they received a message from Milan. It was supposedly from the Viceroy, transmitting Napoleon's order to "give him a fair trial and then shoot him." Later Napoleon claimed to Prince Metternich that Hofer was executed against his wishes.

Andreas Hofer was executed by a firing squad on February 20, 1810. He refused a blindfold and gave money to a corporal in charge, telling him to "shoot straight". Hofer became a martyr in Germany and Austria and a rallying point against the power of Napoleon.

Read more about this topic:  Andreas Hofer

Famous quotes containing the words court, martial and/or execution:

    The city is recruited from the country. In the year 1805, it is said, every legitimate monarch in Europe was imbecile. The city would have died out, rotted, and exploded, long ago, but that it was reinforced from the fields. It is only country which came to town day before yesterday, that is city and court today.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    Lie lightly on her, turf and dew:
    She put so little weight on you.
    —Marcus Valerius Martial (c. 40–104)

    If I were asked to chose between execution and life in prison I would, of course, chose the latter. It’s better to live somehow than not at all.
    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)