The military has one overriding priority: that when an officer says "charge" the men charge. If that doesn't happen you don't have an army, just a bunch of peop

The military has one overriding priority: that when an officer says "charge" the men charge. If that doesn't happen you don't have an army, just a bunch of people holding guns. Everything is subservient to that one priority. Justice, fairness, honour, life, all are irrelevant except to the extent that they serve that priority. Slovik's death was one part of maintaining that discipline. Everyone in the army had to know that if they walked away they would be shot, and shooting Slovik showed that the army was serious about it. But once a retreat turns into a rout that is no longer the case; assuming the general manages to rally the army and re-establish discipline there is no point in shooting half the remaining troops. Maybe he shoots a few of ones who left early, just to make the point, but mostly he has to carry on with what he has got.