General Paul Mireau is a main antagonist in the 1957 film Paths of Glory. He is a corrupt French general in World War I who orders a suicidal attack against a German position to secure a promotion, and then has three innocent soldiers court-martialed for cowardice when the attack fails.
He was played by the late George Macready.
What Makes Him a Hate Sink?[]
- He only cares about his own career, as he agrees to attack the Ant Hill despite knowing his division is in no condition to do so because he hopes to secure a promotion.
- He humiliates and slaps a soldier for having shell shock, ordering him transferred out of his unit.
- He orders Colonel Dax to lead the attack, while admitting that he fully expects 60% of Dax's men to be killed. When Dax objects, Mireau threatens to relieve him of command and replace him with someone who will do it, forcing Dax to back down as he doesn't want to be taken away from his men.
- He watches indifferently as countless soldiers are mowed down, only caring about the speed of their advance.
- He orders an artillery commander to open fire on his own troops to force them out of the trenches, threatening to execute the artillery commander for refusing.
- He demands to have 100 men court-martialed and executed for cowardice, and has to be repeatedly pressured by Dax and General Broulard to reduce the number to three. He doesn't insist on a higher number only because he's trying to appear reasonable in front of Broulard.
- He puts three soldiers through a rigged court-martial where they aren't allowed to properly defend themselves, and the men are sentenced to death.
- When one of the condemned men is knocked unconscious in a fight, Mireau states he will still be executed, ordering him pinched awake so that he's conscious when he dies.
- He enjoys the wrongful executions and gloats afterward about how "wonderfully" the men died.
External Links[]
- Paul Mireau on the Villains Wiki
- Paul Mireau on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Paul Mireau on the Pathetic Pinhead Wiki
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 Hate Sinks
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