German edit

Etymology edit

From Befehl +‎ -s- +‎ Notstand.

Pronunciation edit

  • (file)

Noun edit

Befehlsnotstand m (strong, genitive Befehlsnotstandes or Befehlsnotstands, plural Befehlsnotstände)

  1. (law) forcible coercion to obey unlawful orders (a legal situation in which someone can be absolved of responsibility for carrying out an illegal act, including a war crime, because they were threatened with great bodily injury or death if they refused)

Declension edit

Further reading edit