---
title: "Edith Cavell Executed by German Forces"
year: 1915
country: "Belgium"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1915/edith-cavell-execution"
slug: "edith-cavell-execution"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1915-01-01"
---

# Edith Cavell Executed by German Forces

> The British nurse's execution for aiding Allied soldiers mobilized international outrage and shaped propaganda narratives during the First World War.

## Summary

Edith Louisa Cavell was a British nurse. She is celebrated for treating wounded soldiers from both sides without discrimination during the First World War and for helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. Cavell was arrested, court-martialled under German military law, and sentenced to death by firing squad. Despite international pressure for mercy, the German government refused to commute her sentence and she was shot. The execution received worldwide condemnation and extensive press coverage.

## Sources

- [Edith Cavell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1915/edith-cavell-execution