Germany’s brutal treatment of civilians and POW can be split into two rationales, political and racial respectively.
The Nazi-German regime was notorious for unwarranted attacks on civilians and throughout WWII an estimated 25 million civilians from allied countries were killed. Majority of civilian deaths at the hands of the Germans were collateral damage, for example the German bombing raid on the Yugoslavian capital city of Belgrade which resulted in 300,000 civilian casualties. However, cases exist of malicious civilian attacks such as the incident on the 3rd of September 1939 when a German U-Boat sunk The British Transatlantic Passenger, The SS Athenia, killing 128 civilians on board. Another example are the 250,000 Polish civilians and soldiers who participated in the Warsaw uprising and were sent to concentration camps as a result.
Germany used racism and antisemitism as one of the principal tenets of the regime due to the fact they maintained the notion that races outside of the master “Aryan” race were inferior. The Germans used this concept as justification for their inhumane treatment of Jews in the 6 German death camps operational during WWII. Jews were viewed as “half raced” and consequently, approximately 6 million Jews were systematically murdered in concentration camps during the holocaust which was a factor of the Final Solution, a scheme to eradicate all Jewish people from Europe. Among the Jews, in concentration camps 2.8 million Soviet POWs were murdered or starved to death in open air pens. Non-ethnic Polish civilians were subjugated to mandatory labour in the industry, internment and wholesale expulsions with the result of easing German infiltration of colonists and allow for mass executions. Words: 274 The dominant narrative of Germany is fairly true to the truth however focus is drawn specifically to the holocaust rather than the treatment of civilians. The German school curriculum is an excellent example of the way in which the country wishes to portray itself to its citizens. German high school history consists of establishing the conditions created, and a portrayal of pre WWII society in order to show to consequences and causes of WWII, essentially assessing the political climate. German students will explore Nationalism, Imperialism, System of Alliances and Colonialism. Then students will observe Nazi propaganda, the horrors of war and the holocaust with little to no emphasis on the battles or movements of the army. Emphasis instead is placed on outlining the reasons the German people fell so easily for the radical Nazi doctrine. The emphasis on the justification of Germans joining the war in the Germans curriculum was put in place after the student protests of 1968 as a consequence of growing tension between the new generation and the veterans of WWII. Students found the actions of the veterans of war appalling and the principals lacking. Hence, the German dominant narrative concerning their participation in the war focuses on conscription, propaganda and nationalism to ease the loathing younger generations felt towards the older ones by taking away an aspect of the blame. Words: 224 Over the years, Germany has made ample reconciliation with its victims through the Potsdam agreement and denazification, the European Union and the Elysée Treaty , apology and compensation. The Potsdam Conference (July 17-August 2, 1945) was concerned with many things among them, the demilitarisation, democratisation, decentralisation disassembly but most importantly, denazification of Germany. …show more content…
As Germany was liberated, they renounced the National Socialist ideology from all aspects of German culture. This included political, economic, intellectual and cultural. Denazification was also concerned with persecution from executive positions or from public office of active members of the former National Socialist Party. This process was called denazification and was carried out largely by the Allied Powers. This was monumental for reconciliation between Germany and its victims because it separated Germany from the Nazi party and publicly showed the Nazi party being screened and removed, consequently the victims felt that were getting retribution for the war. Germany was one of the six founding countries of the European Union. This not only restored economic strength to Germany but also reestablished it as a democratic partner. Germany’s prevalence in the creation of the EU
The Nazi-German regime was notorious for unwarranted attacks on civilians and throughout WWII an estimated 25 million civilians from allied countries were killed. Majority of civilian deaths at the hands of the Germans were collateral damage, for example the German bombing raid on the Yugoslavian capital city of Belgrade which resulted in 300,000 civilian casualties. However, cases exist of malicious civilian attacks such as the incident on the 3rd of September 1939 when a German U-Boat sunk The British Transatlantic Passenger, The SS Athenia, killing 128 civilians on board. Another example are the 250,000 Polish civilians and soldiers who participated in the Warsaw uprising and were sent to concentration camps as a result.
Germany used racism and antisemitism as one of the principal tenets of the regime due to the fact they maintained the notion that races outside of the master “Aryan” race were inferior. The Germans used this concept as justification for their inhumane treatment of Jews in the 6 German death camps operational during WWII. Jews were viewed as “half raced” and consequently, approximately 6 million Jews were systematically murdered in concentration camps during the holocaust which was a factor of the Final Solution, a scheme to eradicate all Jewish people from Europe. Among the Jews, in concentration camps 2.8 million Soviet POWs were murdered or starved to death in open air pens. Non-ethnic Polish civilians were subjugated to mandatory labour in the industry, internment and wholesale expulsions with the result of easing German infiltration of colonists and allow for mass executions. Words: 274 The dominant narrative of Germany is fairly true to the truth however focus is drawn specifically to the holocaust rather than the treatment of civilians. The German school curriculum is an excellent example of the way in which the country wishes to portray itself to its citizens. German high school history consists of establishing the conditions created, and a portrayal of pre WWII society in order to show to consequences and causes of WWII, essentially assessing the political climate. German students will explore Nationalism, Imperialism, System of Alliances and Colonialism. Then students will observe Nazi propaganda, the horrors of war and the holocaust with little to no emphasis on the battles or movements of the army. Emphasis instead is placed on outlining the reasons the German people fell so easily for the radical Nazi doctrine. The emphasis on the justification of Germans joining the war in the Germans curriculum was put in place after the student protests of 1968 as a consequence of growing tension between the new generation and the veterans of WWII. Students found the actions of the veterans of war appalling and the principals lacking. Hence, the German dominant narrative concerning their participation in the war focuses on conscription, propaganda and nationalism to ease the loathing younger generations felt towards the older ones by taking away an aspect of the blame. Words: 224 Over the years, Germany has made ample reconciliation with its victims through the Potsdam agreement and denazification, the European Union and the Elysée Treaty , apology and compensation. The Potsdam Conference (July 17-August 2, 1945) was concerned with many things among them, the demilitarisation, democratisation, decentralisation disassembly but most importantly, denazification of Germany. …show more content…
As Germany was liberated, they renounced the National Socialist ideology from all aspects of German culture. This included political, economic, intellectual and cultural. Denazification was also concerned with persecution from executive positions or from public office of active members of the former National Socialist Party. This process was called denazification and was carried out largely by the Allied Powers. This was monumental for reconciliation between Germany and its victims because it separated Germany from the Nazi party and publicly showed the Nazi party being screened and removed, consequently the victims felt that were getting retribution for the war. Germany was one of the six founding countries of the European Union. This not only restored economic strength to Germany but also reestablished it as a democratic partner. Germany’s prevalence in the creation of the EU