Mireau

Broulard then blithely offers Mireau's command to Dax, assuming that Dax's attempts to stop the executions were a ploy to gain Mireau's job.

Mireau initially refuses, citing the impossibility of success and the danger to his beloved soldiers, but when Broulard mentions a potential promotion, Mireau quickly convinces himself the attack will succeed.

Following the execution, Broulard has breakfast with the gloating Mireau.

Mireau leaves angrily, protesting that he has been made a scapegoat.

Mireau leaves the detailed planning of the attack to the 701st Regiment’s Colonel Dax ( Kirk Douglas ), despite Dax's protests that the only result of the attack will be to weaken the French Army with heavy losses for no benefit.

To deflect blame for the failure, Mireau decides to court martial 100 of the soldiers for cowardice.