Laws regulating war crimes have existed since ancient times, and trials of people who have committed them have existed as well; the trial of Peter von Hagenbach wasn’t unusual for being a trial to judge whether he has violated laws of war when he was holding down Breisach for Charles the Bold; it was unusual because it was an international trial, and because part of the judgement included the decree that if soldiers are given orders they know to be wrong, they are culpable if they follow those orders. The trial would be cited as precedent for the Nuremberg trials after World War II. We discuss the trial, we discuss war crimes, and Michelle presents a children’s book which posits von Hagenbach as a hero to be emulated. We are both scandalized.
Hi, I love your podcast. I have one question. You are very quick to disregard Thomas More’s notes on the princes in the tower saying that he would be biased towards the tutors. Don’t you think that by saying this you are insinuating that More is willing to be dishonest in order to help the tutors. Think about it.