Soldiers deserted primarily because officers beat them arbitrarily

Evidence

“It’s not so much as if we were going to be killed,” Grange reflected, moistening his dry gums with his tongue. “It’s strange—it’s more as if we were going to be punished.” — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 468 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Officers lacked esprit de corps and Ibrahim held them in contempt; Turkish officers routinely abused and cheated their Egyptian conscript soldiers; Even the guards and elite regiments tasked with catching deserters deserted themselves (+1 more)

Related

• Soldiers under fire feel punished rather than merely endangered (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Soldiers under fire feel punished rather than merely endangered #expands (0.62) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 468