:34:00
Major Saint-Auban, arrange for the
immediate relief of the 701st Regiment.
:34:04
Have them sent to the Château de I'Aigle.
Have Colonel Dax report to me.
:34:08
Major Couderc, assemble
a general court martial.
:34:11
Have it meet at 3 o'clock
tomorrow afternoon.
:34:14
If those sweethearts won't face
German bullets, they'll face French ones!
:34:28
I ordered an attack.
Your troops refused to attack.
:34:32
They attacked,
but they could make no headway.
:34:34
Because they didn't try. I saw it myself.
Half of your men never left the trenches.
:34:39
A third of my men were
pinned down by the intense fire.
:34:42
Don't quibble over fractions, Colonel.
:34:44
A good part of your men
never left their own trenches.
:34:48
Colonel Dax, I'm going to have 10 men
from each company in your regiment
:34:52
tried under penalty of death
for cowardice.
:34:54
- Penalty of death...?
- For cowardice!
:34:57
- They have skimmed milk for blood.
- It's the reddest milk I've ever seen.
:35:01
- That's enough...
- I'm not gonna mince words...
:35:04
Colonel Dax, if you continue in
this manner, you shall be arrested.
:35:07
I believe the colonel has a point,
even though he makes it bluntly.
:35:11
This is not a trial,
but it does bear aspects of one.
:35:14
Colonel Dax technically is cast in the role
of the defence. With such grave charges,
:35:18
a court of law would grant him
latitude in presenting his case.
:35:21
Latitude is one thing,
insubordination another.
:35:25
I am merely offering an opinion. Please
do not feel constrained to accept it.
:35:29
I'm perfectly willing to accept it,
General Broulard.
:35:33
I'm sorry, sir. I certainly
didn't intend to be insubordinate.
:35:36
My only aim is
to remind you of the heroism
:35:38
these men have shown
on every occasion in the past.
:35:41
We're talking about the present.
:35:44
Sir, they're not cowards.
If some didn't leave the trenches,
:35:47
it must have been
because it was impossible.
:35:50
They were ordered to attack.
It was their duty to obey that order.
:35:54
We can't leave it up to the men to decide
when an order is possible or not.
:35:58
If it was impossible, the only proof would
be their dead bodies lying in the trenches.