241: Flogging in the British Army: When Did It End?

The History Chap Podcast · Feb 25, 2026 · 18m

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Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.

Flogging was the principle punishment in the British Army for nearly 200 years.

Even the Duke of Wellington was a supporter.

So how harsh was it? And, why (and when) did it end?

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For nearly 200 years, flogging was the disciplinary backbone of the British Army.

From the passage of the Mutiny Act in 1689 to its abolition in 1881, corporal punishment shaped the experience of every…