Execution of Edith Cavell
Event in History
Execution of Edith Cavell has come up in 1 episode across 1 podcast in TMT, including The Rest Is History. 2 people have made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Dominic SandbrookBritish historian, author and co-host of The Rest Is History
Sandbrook characterises the execution as a political rather than a moral error.
“It's a political mistake rather than a moral mistake, I would say”
The Rest Is History: 674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4) (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 58:05
Sandbrook interprets Count Harrach's remark about shooting more English women as a gruff joke rather than a serious statement.
“I think it's obviously a joke. It's German banter”
The Rest Is History: 674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4) (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 48:54
Sandbrook cites Diana Souhami's view that Cavell's interrogation answers were mistranslated into German to seem more incriminating.
“Diana Suhami says she thinks that the answers were slightly mistranslated to make them sound more incriminating”
The Rest Is History: 674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4) (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 36:21
Tom HollandEnglish actor cast as Telemachus
Holland contends the German command should have weighed the consequences and could have imprisoned Cavell instead.
“you have to weigh up, you know, which is the worst. And I think you could send her to prison or whatever”
The Rest Is History: 674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4) (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 57:53
Holland argues that executing Cavell was a grave misjudgement by the Germans, worse than a crime.
“I mean, it's worse than a crime. It's a mistake”
The Rest Is History: 674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4) (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 55:22
Podcasts
- The Rest Is History · 1 episode
Episodes
674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4)The Rest Is History · May 27, 2026 · 1 h 8 min
Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland recount the life, resistance work, trial and 1915 execution of British nurse Edith Cavell in German-occupied Belgium, and her posthumous legend.