No matter how truthful Sajer's books might be, the fact that he doesn't mention the shootings of Jews certainly doesn't mean he didn't witness any. He published the book in the late 60ies, most people didn't want to hear/read anything about crimes committed by the Germany Army at that time, preferring to cling tight on the image of the "clean Wehrmacht". The great majority of German soldiers knew that Jews were targets; not only could they observe this at home since the early 30ies, they also had some idea of what was going on at and behind the front. They knew about crimes committed in the East even when they hadn't taken part in any; while some doubted numbers given by others and were shocked by how the executions took place, they still wouldn't doubt THAT Jews were executed in large numbers. What was happening in concentration camps was surely less known to the average soldier. Most had little idea of what exactly went on there, but everybody knew that they weren't a place where you'd want to go - in fact, many were aware of the fact that who goes in is likely to not come out. Woapysittank is surely correct that most soldiers wouldn't talk at home in such a manner. But they actually did mention executions and other crimes in letters home. And they talked even more openly about it among themselves.
Holocaust Bystanders –The Germans another opinion to consider, http://www.kimel.net/germans.html Holocaust Bystanders –The Germans by Alexander Kimel Eugene Kogon, a former Buchenwald prisoner, later Professor of Political Science at the University of Munich commented on the German participation in his book "Der S.S. Staat (The Theory and Practice of Hell: ...And yet, there wasn't even one German who did not know of the camps' existence or who believed they were sanatoriums. There were very few Germans who did not have a relative or an acquaintance in camp, or who did not know, at least, that such an one or another had been sent to a camp. All the Germans had been witnesses to the multiform anti-Semitic barbarity. Millions of them been had been present - with indifference or with curiosity, with contempt or downright malign joy-at the burning of synagogues or humiliation of Jews and Jewesses forced to kneel in the street mud. Not a single German could have been unaware of the fact that the prisons were full to overflowing, and that executions were taking place continually all over the country. Thousands of magistrates and police functionaries, lawyers, priests and social workers knew generically that the situation is grave. Many businessman who dealt with the camp S.S. men as suppliers, the industrialists who asked the administrative and economic offices of the S.S. for slave-laborers, the clerks in those offices, all knew perfectly well that many of the big firms were exploiting slave labor. Quite a few workers performed their tasks near concentration camps or actually inside them. Various university professors collaborated with the medical research centers instituted by Himmler, and various State doctors and doctors connected with private institutes collaborated with professional murderers. A good many members of military aviation had been transferred to S.S. jurisdiction and must have known what went on there. Many high-ranking army officers knew about the mass murders of the Russian prisoners of war in the camps, and even more soldiers and members of the Military Police must have known exactly what terrifying horrors were being perpetrated in the camps, the ghettos, the cities, and the countryside of the occupied Eastern territories. Can. you say that even one of these statements is false. In my opinion, none of these statements is false, but one other must be added to complete the picture: in spite of the varied possibilities for information, most Germans did not know because they didn't want to know. Because, indeed, they wanted not to know. It is certainly true that State terrorism is a very strong weapon, very difficult to resist. But it is also true that the German people, as a whole, did not even try to resist. In Hitler's Germany a particular code was widespread: those who knew did not talk; those who did not know did not asked questions; those who did not asked questions received no answers. In this way the typical German citizen won and defended his ignorance, which seemed to him sufficient justification of his adherence to Nazism. Shutting his mouth, his eyes and hears, an accomplice too the things taking place in front of his very door. Knowing and making things known was one way (basically then not all that dangerous) of keeping one's distance from Nazism. I think the German people, on the whole, did not seek this recourse, and I hold them fully culpable of this deliberated omission.
The piece above approaches more of a psychological study on the way a population behaves, especially under stress, and I am certainly no expert. It brings back around the old questions of responsibility- should they have known; if they didn't, are they responsible anyway, and so on. Who or what to blame is an endless subject for discussion and debate.
Holocaust Bystanders –The Germans another opinion to consider, http://www.kimel.net/germans.html Holocaust Bystanders –The Germans by Alexander Kimel Eugene Kogon, a former Buchenwald prisoner, later Professor of Political Science at the University of Munich commented on the German participation in his book "Der S.S. Staat (The Theory and Practice of Hell: ...And yet, there wasn't even one German who did not know of the camps' existence or who believed they were sanatoriums. There were very few Germans who did not have a relative or an acquaintance in camp, or who did not know, at least, that such an one or another had been sent to a camp. All the Germans had been witnesses to the multiform anti-Semitic barbarity. Millions of them been had been present - with indifference or with curiosity, with contempt or downright malign joy-at the burning of synagogues or humiliation of Jews and Jewesses forced to kneel in the street mud. Not a single German could have been unaware of the fact that the prisons were full to overflowing, and that executions were taking place continually all over the country. Thousands of magistrates and police functionaries, lawyers, priests and social workers knew generically that the situation is grave. Many businessman who dealt with the camp S.S. men as suppliers, the industrialists who asked the administrative and economic offices of the S.S. for slave-laborers, the clerks in those offices, all knew perfectly well that many of the big firms were exploiting slave labor. Quite a few workers performed their tasks near concentration camps or actually inside them. Various university professors collaborated with the medical research centers instituted by Himmler, and various State doctors and doctors connected with private institutes collaborated with professional murderers. A good many members of military aviation had been transferred to S.S. jurisdiction and must have known what went on there. Many high-ranking army officers knew about the mass murders of the Russian prisoners of war in the camps, and even more soldiers and members of the Military Police must have known exactly what terrifying horrors were being perpetrated in the camps, the ghettos, the cities, and the countryside of the occupied Eastern territories. Can. you say that even one of these statements is false. In my opinion, none of these statements is false, but one other must be added to complete the picture: in spite of the varied possibilities for information, most Germans did not know because they didn't want to know. Because, indeed, they wanted not to know. It is certainly true that State terrorism is a very strong weapon, very difficult to resist. But it is also true that the German people, as a whole, did not even try to resist. In Hitler's Germany a particular code was widespread: those who knew did not talk; those who did not know did not asked questions; those who did not asked questions received no answers. In this way the typical German citizen won and defended his ignorance, which seemed to him sufficient justification of his adherence to Nazism. Shutting his mouth, his eyes and hears, an accomplice too the things taking place in front of his very door. Knowing and making things known was one way (basically then not all that dangerous) of keeping one's distance from Nazism. I think the German people, on the whole, did not seek this recourse, and I hold them fully culpable of this deliberated omission. What did you want the common German citizen to do? Their opinion did not matter and there was no way they were going to overthrow that government. It took almost the world to do that.
You are right my friend, there were a few who tried and they all died at the hands of the SS or Gestapo. Sometimes I wonder what I would do. I do not agree with our US Administration and freely say so, however I am not facing what these folks were. Who knows what any of us would do until faced with such a choice. Your statement rings true and we all need to think about such options with the way the world is going these days. What did you want the common German citizen to do? Their opinion did not matter and there was no way they were going to overthrow that government. It took almost the world to do that.
You are right my friend, there were a few who tried and they all died at the hands of the SS or Gestapo. Sometimes I wonder what I would do. I do not agree with our US Administration and freely say so, however I am not facing what these folks were. Who knows what any of us would do until faced with such a choice. Your statement rings true and we all need to think about such options with the way the world is going these days. I too don't agree with our administration, however, my voice means nothing. I am a combat vet but the only voices that gets heard in our culture are that of the rich.
A Hollywood movie concerning German Soldiers can be found in this movie. It shows the very best of men and the very worse of men fighting in the same uniform and in the same army. This could be listed under movies as well, however know it is a true story and you really do see the worse of men and the best of men fighting on the same side. It includes Germans, Americans and a British Pilot who came down behind German lines. Saints and Soldiers (2003) 90 min - War | Action | Drama - 25 March 2005 (USA) Four American soldiers and one Brit fighting in Europe during World War II struggle to return to Allied territory after being separated from U.S. forces during the historic Malmedy Massacre. Director: Ryan Little Writers: Matt Whitaker, Geoffrey Panos (story) Stars: Corbin Allred, Alexander Polinsky and Kirby Heyborne
There is quite a bit of interview footage showing "the good , the bad and the ugly" from "The World at War" through to more recent projects.
