Major von Kleist gave orders that a man or, if no man was available, a woman, be taken from every household as a hostage. Through some peculiar failure of the system, the greater the terror, the more terror seemed to be necessary.
Major von Kleist implemented a directive to take hostages from each household, selecting either a man or a woman if no men were available. This order highlights the brutal tactics used during the time, as hostages were intended to instill fear among the population.
The notion presented suggests a troubling paradox: as terror escalated, it paradoxically demanded even more terror to maintain control. This cycle of violence underscores the bleak nature of warfare and the psychological strategies employed in conflict, illustrating how fear can amplify and perpetuate itself.
