History /
German POWs after WW2 - did the allies commit mass murder? [228]
I'd only strike out of self-defense, so I agree. Most of the soldiers were just young men who were drafted, and following their orders. It doesn't make it right, but for those who don't understand; A soldier who refuses to perform his duty in times of war, will get himself executed.
So for most soldiers (Who are people like you and me, some people see them as heroes, but really they can get just as scared as you and me sometimes.) it really is a matter of survival. You or him.
There were and always will be people (Both men and women!) who have extreme vieuws and ideas, and those people most likely will not behave themselves in times of war.
War is hell. There's nothing heroic or good about it. In my opinion there can be no glorious victory, because on all sides, everyone loses something of their humanity and the aftermath should be clear for all to see. Look at us. 63 years after, we are still trying to place the blame for a number of things on eachother, when in reality, most of us didn't want this to happen..
So I agree with Bratwurst Boy to a certain extent, because most Wehrmacht soldiers where drafted young men who followed their orders, and behaved in ways that should be expected from soldiers, (Again, that doesn't make it right!) just like most of the Allied troops did. 