Why the Germans?

Some very interesting posts I must say. I think to a large extent that some of the more specialized literature available on the subject, especially the books written by some veterans or people very close to them, are written in a very special style. Some authors write about the exploits of the German armed forces with much admiration, and while this might be emotionally engaging for the reader, it isn't vary scholarly or professional in my opinion.

It is a problem only in the extent that it at times reinforces the myth about the German super soldier, struggling against the mighty and relentless allied machine. When I was younger, I found it to be very captivating and sometimes even emotional to read these stories. Now when I am a little more mature I have found it jarring rather than stirring.

 

Exactly. Had the Germans won the war, everyone would write about how brave the Russian were in trying to defend their motherland. However, now all we see are how the Russians raped the German girls who were unfortunate enough to live behind the iron curtain of Stalin.
Some people like to think that the Germans where tragic heroes who fought and died for their fatherland, which is only half-true. It is for you to figure out why people enjoy hearing fairy tales and tragedies.
Then again, half of the people who live in America are of German descent. Maybe that has something to do with it.

 

I believe it is 50 million Americans with German ancestry (17%) and not fifty percent ancestry. By comparison, Irish-Americans amount to about 31%.

 

This thread inspired me to revisit some literature that had, in one way or another, irked me a bit. It stuck me that the two Wittman volumes by Agte was two books that I had a problem with. I only have the Stackpole edition, so I don't know if the JJF edition suffers from the same problem (lack of source references etc.), but I do think that the Wittman books are prime examples of why so many are so fascinated by the Germans during WW2.

 

I think it's more than that. The Nazis were good at confusion minds. They kept claiming they incarnated culture, civilisation etc... and to be more convincing they actually put the worst barbarian deeds next extreme rafinate culture such as German composers, art etc... Therefore some Germans had the feeling that defending the Fatherland meant defending the whole thing, without being awere that cultural heritage could be dissociated from Nazism. Of course many others were aware of this propaganda, but they also had a strong feeling of honor, so they had some difficult choices ahead of them.

 

You're right, Skipper. Amazing how a nation that generated these, these or these could procriate such monsters.

 

Funny Za , whne I read your last post I had a feeling of déja vu about a similar quote by a famous Russian during WWII, forgot who it was though. Were you mentionning him or is this a coincidence?