Proclamation

Belgian First World War proclamation poster announcing the punishment of various people for treason. Six of these were sentenced to death, with a further four sentenced to hard labour. Of particular note is the first name on the list of those sentenced to death: Edith Cavell, this proclamation being printed on the date of her death. Cavell was a British nurse working in Belgium, who not only assisted some 200 British soldiers to escape Belgium following its occupation, but also assisted in looking after the sick from both sides. Despite this, for the former 'crime', she was sentenced to death by firing squad by General Moritz von Bissing, who had been placed in charge of Brussels following its occupation. This execution received international condemnation within in Allied propaganda (including an Australian film in 1917) attesting to the brutality of the German war machine.