This is an interresting debate going on here. I myself have always been interrested in the history of WW2 yet for some reason I don't really know why some people wish to tell of any fighting force of any dicatatorian system that took part in the conflict to have benn "clean from any ideology" or other saying "the only reason they were so great is because the followed that x-ism to the last letter". (thank god I haven't seen any of that here so far, only on other places on the internet).
What really gets me mad is that many would try to make the whole confllict look like a fight between good and evil - a very wrong concept.
I think all armed forces that took part in the war have also taken part in war crimes to some degree more or less.
I myself have always read and gathered info about the wehrmacht because I am conwinced that they were the best fighting force of there time (till today I consider the german Blitzkrieg 1939 -1940 to be one of the best lead and fought campaings of the first half of the 20. century in Europe), for a while. However I have never seen or believed that only the "Nazi core" of the army where the only ones to commot warcrimes (although they were the most active in that matter, but not the sole perpretators).
This does however not mean that all germans (soldier or civilian) are the "bad guys" nor are the Allies the "good guys" and are neither free of commiting deeds that can be seen as "war crimes".
Just to name a few examples:
- The massacre of Katyn: well I don't think too much needs to be said.
- Sending there own men on suicide charges and executing thoose who refused - USSR
- Disquising some agents as German paratroopers, sending them to viligaes to see if they would help hide them and if the villagers did then deport/execute them all - NKVD activity in the Ukraine.
- Lead a whole arial bombing campaing tarteging the civilian population of the enemies country to increase suffering with the final goal of inciting a revolt against the goverment - United Kingdom (the USA forces atleast tried to concentrate on factories and military targets in Europe, but in the pacific they bombed/burned down entire cities in japan even such which had little if any military value. The Germans also had similer attempts over England but till then they mostly targeted military facilities, but started attacking London after the British bombed Berlin. - no wonder the term "Western Air terrorists" has been used so long in middle- and east Europe)
- Drezda, Hirosima, Nagasaki (correct exampels of the above)
Therefore I would conclude that neither side can be seen as completely innocent nor can all members of any people be seen as completely guilty.
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