“On December 2, military practice was held in Saverne. The scene was watched from the street by a journeyman shoemaker, who broke out laughing at the sight of the young, finely dressed Forstner, and some inhabitants that were standing around joined in. As a result, the second lieutenant lost control, struck down the shoemaker with his saber and gave him severe head injuries. That new act of aggression further intensified the affair.
Forstner was sentenced to merely 43 days of arrest by a military court in the first trial, and in the appellate trial, the verdict was reversed completely. Although he had been accompanied by five armed soldiers and the shoemaker was unarmed, as well as paralyzed on one side, the judge interpreted his actions as self defense, since the shoemaker had been guilty of insulting the crown. Within military circles, Forstner received encouragement, since he had defended the honor of the army with his act of violence.”
An incident in German-occupied Alscase-Lorraine, 1913, From Wikipedia, 2008-12-27.
Nothing singularly remarkable about the incident. It interested me because of the necessarily subjective nature of “self-defense” and “insulting the crown” and “honor”. It is dishonorable to laugh at a soldier, but not, apparently, to murder, a helpless paralytic.