In view of the vast size of the occupied areas in the East the forces available for establishing security in these areas will be sufficient only if all resistance is punished not by legal prosecution of the guilty but by the spreading of such terror by the occupying power as is appropriate to eradicate every inclination to resist among the population. The competent commanders must find the means of keeping order not by demanding more security forces but by applying suitable Draconian methods.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- This quote argues that terror is a necessary tool for occupying forces to suppress resistance, rather than legal prosecution.
- In plain terms
- Terror is needed to stop resistance, not courts.
- What can you take from it?
- Occupiers use terror to maintain control.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do occupying powers justify excessive force?
- What are the long-term effects of terror on populations?
Another view
This justification for terror violates international law and moral principles.
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