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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Ready!'''
Death by firing squad has been a classic way of execution since firearms became widely used in war.
A classic scenario for a [[Just in Time]] rescue, a [[Facing the Bullets One-Liner]], or a combination thereof. Expect a hero to refuse a blindfold. Contrast [[You Always Hear the Bullet]].
Most of the examples are set in [[World War
{{deathtrope}}
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* In one episode of ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'', Eledore and Michel are scheduled to be executed at dawn after being captured by Zeon troops.▼
* Nicola Fafas is executed in ''[[After War Gundam X
==
▲* In one episode of ''[[The 08th MS Team]]'', Eledore and Michel are scheduled to be executed at dawn after being captured by Zeon troops.
▲* Nicola Fafas is executed in ''[[After War Gundam X (Anime)|Gundam X]]'' for daring to discover evidence that Newtypes can be born on Earth as well as space.
* Happens to at least one character in [[Ninja High School]].
* [[Tintin
==
* The film ''[[Breaker Morant]]'', about the court martial of Harry Morant and Peter Handcock during the Boer War, ends with their dawn execution by firing squad.▼
* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s [[Gaunts Ghosts]] novel ''The Guns Of Tanith'', when Caffran is convicted of rape and murder, he is sentenced to be shot at dawn. (Fortunately, Gaunt hears of it before then and dredges up more evidence, resulting in a second trial and acquittal.)▼
* In ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Jingo|Jingo]]'', Lord Vetinari tries, through subtle hints, to get through to Sergeant Colon what will happen if they are discovered as being from Ankh-Morpork in Klatch. "A nice sunny wall and a cigarette" is mentioned. It doesn't take...at first.▼
* ''[[Paths of Glory]]'' starring Kirk Douglas. After an ill-planned attack fails, three solders are selected, condemned by a kangaroo court-martial for cowardice, and shot at dawn.▼
* The two German boys from ''[[War Horse]]'' are executed after the elder pulls the younger from marching to the front.▼
* ''[[Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Space Sheriff Gavan:
== [[Literature]] ==
▲* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s [[
▲* In ''[[
* In [[Voltaire]]'s ''[[Candide]]'', the main character witnesses a British officer being executed by firing squad and comments:
{{quote|
** This is a reference to the execution of John Byng, a British admiral, for "failing to [[Attack! Attack! Attack!|do his utmost]]" at the Battle of Minorca in 1756.
* Referenced in an exchange from the ''[[
{{quote|
'''Marco''': "Tradition. You have [[Showdown At High Noon|shootouts at high noon]], you stretch in the seventh inning, and you attack at dawn."
'''Cassie''': "You also get executed at dawn."
'''Marco''': ''[[Beat]]'' "Well there's a cheerful thought." }}
* In [[Seven Men of Gascony]] one of [[The Squad]] is caught deserting. His final request is that his mates volunteer to do the deed because he wanted men who knew how to shoot to do the job.
== [[Live
* ''[[
* The ''[[
** Averted in "Genesis of the Daleks", after the Doctor is captured. His captors remark that normally he would be executed by firing squad, but since ammunition is so scarce, he'll be hanged instead.
** This also happens in the Fifth Doctor story "The Caves Of Androzani". The Doctor and Peri are captured and sentenced to death. Unusually, neither one refuses a blindfold (or, in this case, a red hood) but that's because {{spoiler|they're android duplicates.}}
* {{spoiler|Tom Zarek}} and {{spoiler|Felix Gaeta}} on ''[[Battlestar Galactica
* One episode of ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' features the Soviets trying to execute a guy via the firing squad. [[Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy|The firing squad misses]]. [[What an Idiot!|Repeatedly]].
* A common sketch on ''[[You Can't Do That
* One episode of ''[[Get Smart]]'' played with this, where Max was put up against a wall and soldiers who always obeyed orders were arrayed in front of him, with the officer giving the orders behind the soldiers. [[Genre Savvy]] readers can tell how well that went:
{{quote|'''Officer:''' Ready... Aim...
'''Max:''' About Face!
'''[[Too Dumb to Live|Officer]]:''' Fire!}}
== [[Music]] ==
* [[Protest the Hero]]'s album ''Kezia'' ends with this.
==
* The classic painting by Goya, "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_of_May_1808 The Third of May 1808]"▼
** Imitated by Manet in his "[[http://communitas.princeton.edu/blogs/writingart6/archives/images/The<!-- 20Execution20of%20Maximilian.jpg The Execution of Maximillian]]". -->▼
** And by Picasso in his "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_in_Korea Massacre in Korea]".▼
▲* The film ''Breaker Morant'', about the court martial of Harry Morant and Peter Handcock during the Boer War, ends with their dawn execution by firing squad.
▲* Seen in ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel (Film)|The Scarlet Pimpernel]].''
▲* [[Paths of Glory]] starring Kirk Douglas. After an ill-planned attack fails, three solders are selected, condemned by a kangaroo court-martial for cowardice, and shot at dawn.
▲* The two German boys from ''[[War Horse]]'' are executed after the elder pulls the younger from marching to the front.
▲* ''[[Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Space Sheriff Gavan the Movie (Film)|Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Space Sheriff Gavan the Movie]]'': after being arrested by Gavan, the Gokaigers are supposed to be executed by firing squad.
* ''[[Tosca]]'' features the titular character's love interest scheduled for execution at dawn.
==
▲* The classic painting by Goya, "[
* Formerly a popular way for executing people, it has since fallen out of practice for its cruelty and/or [[Squick]]. Except in the United Arab Emirates. It is notable for being used a lot during the two world wars, obstinately being used by the Germans and their allies in both wars as a means to get rid of undesirables. The Soviet Union also partook in this execution style, and it was how many [[Les Collaborateurs]] and [[The Quisling|Quislings]] were dealt with after Allied forces liberated German occupied zones. (Incidentally enough, Vikdun Quisling, the latter's trope namer, was executed in this manner in Norway after the Second World War).▼
▲** Imitated by Manet in his "[
▲** And by Picasso in his "[
== [[Real Life]] ==
▲* Formerly a popular way for executing people, it has since fallen out of practice for its cruelty and/or [[Squick]]
** The latest usage of this, to this troper's knowledge, was by Romanian Communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu up until he was overthrown in the late 80's.
*** Ironically enough, latest usage (in Romania) goes to him too, although on the receiving side: he and her wife were the last people to be executed, just two weeks before the abolition of capital punishment.
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*** Utah's use of the firing squad was often connected to the now-discredited LDS doctrine of "blood atonement," in which forgiveness for bloodshed requires actual bloodshed.
* Almost all of the war criminals at the end of WWII were hanged, rather than shot, despite many of them requesting death by firing squad instead. This was to emphasize the civil, rather than military nature of their crimes.
* There was one story about an Arab officer during the [[Arab
** [[Heartwarming Moment]].
*** Except for the part where they, you know, died.
** [[The Other Wiki]]'s page on firing squads says this is actually standard practice for spies, honoring their soldier (but not POW) status.
* Firing squad was the authorized means of execution in Finland 1918 to 1944 and abolition of death penalty de ''facto''. The executions were carried out in sunrise; it was thought to be psychologically easiest that way to both the executioners and convicts.
* This was the fate of [[Mata Hari]]. After being convicted by a [[Kangaroo Court]], she was executed by twelve French soldiers just before dawn on October 15, 1917.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Death Tropes]]
[[Category:
▲[[Category:Shot At Dawn]]
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