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re: Judgment at Nuremberg is on TCM @ 9:45 pm (Eastern)
Posted on 11/21/13 at 8:28 pm to IonaTiger
Posted on 11/21/13 at 8:28 pm to IonaTiger
Iona Tiger:
Thanks for your response. You make a good point about the overwhelming evidence presented leading to guilty verdicts.
I've always wondered how much the average German civilian or Wehrmacht private knew about what was actually happening during the "resettlement" program. Surely they had to have suspicions about what was going on, even if the actual scale was beyond conception for a rational human being. What did they think happened to all of their Jewish neighbors? Where did they think those trains were going?
As far as the "I was just following orders" argument goes, I'd think disobeying would be suicidal in Nazi Germany. US service members are schooled on what is an "illegal order" and what is not. I believe this training was ramped up after My Lai.
Thanks for your response. You make a good point about the overwhelming evidence presented leading to guilty verdicts.
I've always wondered how much the average German civilian or Wehrmacht private knew about what was actually happening during the "resettlement" program. Surely they had to have suspicions about what was going on, even if the actual scale was beyond conception for a rational human being. What did they think happened to all of their Jewish neighbors? Where did they think those trains were going?
As far as the "I was just following orders" argument goes, I'd think disobeying would be suicidal in Nazi Germany. US service members are schooled on what is an "illegal order" and what is not. I believe this training was ramped up after My Lai.
2
Posted on 11/21/13 at 8:52 pm to White Roach
WR, the average German soldier probably didn't know what was going on in concentration camps, or at least know to the extent murders were occurring. This is why I say that the architects of the "Final Solution" undoubtedly deserved the death penalty. My guess is some lesser involved Germans were also put to death.
Civilians around the camps had to know what was going on with all of the ash that was being created. But as you say, what were they to do? Protest meant death.
So many ethical/moral decisions come into play during war. I recall the scene from "Glory" when the 54th went out with a colonel who had renegade troops. He ordered Shaw to torch the town. Shaw declined. The colonel told him that it was an order and Shaw said it was an immoral order that did not have to be obeyed. The colonel told him that if he didn't follow the order he would bring him up on a court martial and would take over the 54th. Shaw acceded. Did he do the right thing? I don't know.
"Judgment at Nuremberg" made me think of a lot of things. Apparently, it made you think, too.
Civilians around the camps had to know what was going on with all of the ash that was being created. But as you say, what were they to do? Protest meant death.
So many ethical/moral decisions come into play during war. I recall the scene from "Glory" when the 54th went out with a colonel who had renegade troops. He ordered Shaw to torch the town. Shaw declined. The colonel told him that it was an order and Shaw said it was an immoral order that did not have to be obeyed. The colonel told him that if he didn't follow the order he would bring him up on a court martial and would take over the 54th. Shaw acceded. Did he do the right thing? I don't know.
"Judgment at Nuremberg" made me think of a lot of things. Apparently, it made you think, too.
Posted on 11/22/13 at 12:57 am to White Roach
quote:
I've always wondered how much the average German civilian or Wehrmacht private knew about what was actually happening during the "resettlement" program. Surely they had to have suspicions about what was going on, even if the actual scale was beyond conception for a rational human being. What did they think happened to all of their Jewish neighbors? Where did they think those trains were going?
The German army provided support to the Ensatzgruppen and sometimes took part in roundups themselves. A lot of German civilians followed the armies east in search of land and opportunity. German civilians administered the conquered areas. German railway workers crewed the deportation trains. German manufacturers built the crematoria ovens. German corporations used slave laborers. If anyone didn't know, it was because they didn't want to know.
quote:
As far as the "I was just following orders" argument goes, I'd think disobeying would be suicidal in Nazi Germany. US service members are schooled on what is an "illegal order" and what is not. I believe this training was ramped up after My Lai.
There's a book called "Hitler's Willing Executioners" that goes into this. The backbone of the Final Solution on the Eastern Front were ordinary German police who were put under SS command. Some of them were up to it, some weren't. The ones who couldn't bring themselves to carry out their assignments were given other duties or sent home. No disciplinary action taken. There were plenty of eager executioners. Most of them were never punished.
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