Voices From The Third Reich and Iraq

Last night I finished reading Voices From The Third Reich: An Oral History. I have read more books, than I can remember, about the Nazi era. Years ago, after reading Albert Speer's Inside the Third Reich, no more, I was done with WWII books.

But then, a couple month's ago, I read a book about the Japanese atrocities during WWII, and before WWII, that shocked me. After that I happened upon the definitive Hitler bio.

Ever since I was a little kid, 10 or 11, and learned of the Holocaust, I have despised Germans. I've always thought they got off too easy after the war, due to the Cold War starting up between the U.S. and the Soviets. I've always bought into the idea of the German's collective guilt. How could they not know the Jews were being killed? How could they not know of the mass slaughters in the occupied zones of the Soviet Union?

After reading this Oral History I've changed my mind. The majority of the German people were just as much victims of Hitler as was the rest of the world. By the time these oral histories were taken, the older generation had died off, so most of the stories are those of men and women who ranged from 11 to in their 20s during the war.

Survivors of the Holacaust tell their stories, survivors of the Russian Front tell their stories, survivors of the Allied bombing tell their stories, survivors of the mass executions that followed the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt of Hitler tell their stories, survivors who worked with or met Hitler tell their stories, surviving German POWs, of both Soviets and Americans tell their stories (which do America proud, and make an American, me, a bit more ashamed of how the Bush wars have treated prisoners), survivors of the brutality of the Russians as the Soviets overran Germany tell their stories, survivors of the Western Front tell their stories. All in all, all types of German surivors in all sorts of situations tell their stories.

The German stories of their first encounters with American forces after the Normandy invasion was new information to me. The Germans were used to fighting the Russians. The Russians would just advance into a line of fire. In their first encounter with Americans, the Germans would find that the Americans would quickly retreat. In their first encounters, the Germans thought the Americans are easy. And then, about 5 minutes later, the Germans would be hit from the air and by artillery and tank fire. The Germans quickly learned that the Americans used heavy fire power to protect their soldiers.

Also interesting was how desperately both German soldiers and civilians tried to get under American control rather than the Russians. In the book there are several accounts of how amazed the Germans were at how well the Americans treated them. One told of being brought to America on a troop ship, well-fed on the way, landing in New York City, being put on a glass tourist boat to be brought to a camp in New Jersey. The German could not believe how prosperous America was, how much food, how many cars and how well they were treated. One German was shocked to see Black American soldiers. He was hungry when captured. The Nazis had convinced him that Blacks were sub-human. This American drove the German to a food supply bunker and loaded the German up. This was the point in time when this German realized he'd been lied to by the Nazis. This German ended up thinking the Black Americans were nicer than the Anglo Americans.

Anyway, after reading this book I realized that I was ridiculous in my attitude towards Germany. All Germans were no more guilty of all the Nazi crimes than are all Americans responsible or guilty of the various dubious acts of the Bush adminstration, you know, things like invading another country, on trumped up charges, and using a Blitzkrieg method to do so, and then putting prisoners into concentration camps, like Guantanamo Bay, where the prisoners are held, without trial, many of whom have been shown to be totally innocent, just like those the Nazis stuck in camps.

So, I know there were Good Germans, and others who were afraid to speak up. Just as I know the majority of Americans are Good Americans who are horrified that America, in even the most slight of ways, has acted in the same manner as Nazi Germany. And just like in Nazi Germany, it will be those who resisted the evil-doing, who will soon restore America to its rightful place as the Number One most decent, respected and admired member of the family of nations.

So, I am almost certain that in about 5 months or so, either Barack Obama or John McCain will begin that process for America and America again will be seen as America was seen during World War II, a beacon of rightness and goodness and power that made the world feel safe. Not scared.