Camp life: Camps, military punishments

Prussia 1740-63.
Corporal punishment and draconian punishments were common at this time. Throughout Europe, accused persons were still "interrogated" with the help of torture. Frederick the Great had already abolished torture in Prussia on his accession to the throne. In all European mercenary armies of the time, discipline and obedience usually had to be enforced by a graduated system of military punishments; after all, forced recruitment and conscription were the order of the day. This must be taken into account in today's assessment.
In the Prussian army, minor offences could be punished by caning or "flailing" (blows with the flat of a blade). Furthermore, there was arrest, "standing on a pole", painful punishments such as "crooking" and "donkey riding" (sitting on a wooden rack). According to the understanding of the time, receiving a beating was not considered dishonourable, but anyone who, as a superior, beat a soldier inappropriately or even "unhealthily" had to expect severe punishment himself. Some regiment commanders forbade beating without further ado. Conditions in the old Prussian army were better than its later reputation.
More serious offences and desertion were usually punished with the well-known "Gassenlaufen" also called "Spießrutenlaufen".
The delinquent was tied up with his upper body exposed and slowly led through the alley of his comrades, who had to beat him with rods. Those who survived this were nursed back to health. The ordered punishments were carried out and supervised by the dreaded profoss, a veteran soldier or non-commissioned officer, and his "Steckenknechte".
Of course there was also the death penalty by shooting ("Füsilieren"), e.g. for repeated desertion. But the well-known saying "Prussians don't shoot that fast!" meant: No one in the Prussian army was shot that fast (as in other armies). Soldiers were hard to replace.
Many of the figures included in this series are so-called "KB" -= combination figures. I.e. by cutting off individual arms different variations can be created!