[2] That text said, in Latin: "Et sibi quisque persuadeat, quod qui sub Obedientia vivunt, se ferri ac regi a divina Providentia per Superiores suos sinere debent perinde, ac si cadaver essent" which can be translated as "We should be aware that each of those who live in obedience must allow himself to be led and guided by Divine Providence through the Superior, as if he were a dead body".
[13] It has been associated with the discussion of German military and administration of the Prussian[14][15][16] and Nazi eras and their passive adherence to carrying out orders, including those later judged to be war crimes (see also Prussian virtues, German militarism, Befehlsnotstand, Führerprinzip, and superior orders).
[21] Adolf Eichmann, one of the major organisers of the Holocaust, invoked this concept in his defence during his post-war trial.
[24][25][26][27][28][29][excessive citations] The concept has been described as promoted by works such as The Communist Manifesto or Mein Kampf.
[26][29][31] A similar variation occurs in Nigerian afrobeat artist Fela Kuti's song "Zombie" (from the album of the same name), in which Kuti calls Nigerian soldiers zombies as a critique of the country's military government.