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Re: Das Boot.

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***It is not clear that Nazi military had anything in particular to apologize for in their conduct of the war against opposing military units.

I disagree with that statement, Bruce. I suspect I know what you mean here, but you make it sound just too universal.

Sure enough the Nazi military did spend some of its time fighting opposing armies. But one simply can't overlook the fact that they also bombed cities, burned villages and towns, killed hostages, all in the name of racial superiority. When the "honorable" German forces besieged Leningrad and were systematically starving its people (not troops, but all civilians) - how was THAT related to their "conduct against opposing military units"? Watching thousand people die every day, while sitting in comfortable shelters, and sending few heavy rounds into the stubborn city every now and then - is that the stuff the limitary honor is made of?

Like it or not, this was as natural to the Nazi army as blowing up the attacking tanks.

Again, I think way too much is made of the fact that the 'commom' officers and soldiers were not tried for their deeds. That was not done simply because the system was already overburdened, not because they had nothing to apologize for. That was not your usual war, it was a war aimed at exterminating the untermenchen and every active participant in it was a criminal.

The common excuse "SS did it!" is not even paper thin.


***In fact there are some instances where U-Boat captains attempted to render some assistance to the crews of ships which they had sunk.
Certainly there is nothing in the Germans' record that compares with the actions of the Japanese army in Bataan or in Nanking.

When it comes to attrocities, the Nazi take the second seat to no one. You are right when talking about the Bataan, but then you should be consistent.


***As more modern experience (e.g. Iraq, Cuba, N. Korea), as well as the history of Nazi Germany, demonstrates it is easy to say that the military should have mutined against such a corrupt and brutal ruler. But accomplishing that is very hard, especially in a nation with no democratic tradition.

That would presume that there was strong resentment regarding the Nazi policies in the German Army. There is no such evidence. Generally speaking it was very supportive of the expansion to the East, and it was not until some severe failures that the resentment set in.

***The Holocaust, of course, is the glaring exception and is without justification or excuse.

No, it is not an exception at all. It was part of the doctrine, anyway you slice it. It was integral to what had been happening since 1933. It was not some 'corrupt cop' story - it was the essence of the Nazi regime.


***But I'm not sure what the Nazi submarine crews were supposed to have done about it.

I don't know. It is simply the fact that they served the evil and they commited murders in the name of that evil. Other than that, OK, no problem, they were fine and honorable military men...




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