Germans Serving Under Maniacal Leaders German soldiers fought the Führer’s ideological war. Hitler wanted the German race to take over the world. Heinrich Bölls book, And Where Were You, Adam?, describes several soldiers and their lives at the end of World War II. In the chaos of war, they found various reasons to capitulate with the Holocaust and other atrocities, but at the same time, tried to find some normalcy and sanity in an insane situation. Just as other warriors in other wars, they were people who found themselves in an inhuman situation. Defense of their homeland, family, and future were their main concern. They were not monsters, but men serving under monstrous leaders with nefarious intentions. Germans foot soldiers
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He spent hours reminiscing about the past and dreaming of the future. Love of family and home was his main motivation during the war. He could not forget Ilona, the Jewish girl he loved and the one Captain Filskeit murdered. Caught up in an evil phenomenon, Feinshals resented the war and wanted to go home (Bolls 152). Back in his hometown, he could return to his life, bed, and try to forget the war (Bolls 155). His character reflects the desires of a typical soldier far from home. Because of Hitler’s manipulation, the German people as a whole overlooked the actions of the army. They deserve some responsibility for war crimes. The middle class embraced Hitler’s ideology of a great Aryan race who would dominate Europe. They lived through traumatic times, and now, came their time to prosper. An example was Captain Bauer, a sweater salesman, who saw rough time get better under the Nazis (Bolls 44). He was a good man who wanted a comfortable life for his family. The Reich had given him that life and he needed to do what was necessary to keep it. His motives were …show more content…
They were humans caught up in an ideology with which they may or may not have agreed.
They only knew the pain of war and death. The death of loved ones, fellow soldiers, and the idea of their own death affected each soldier. They questioned the reason for war and its senseless devastation. Each of Böll’s character tried to preserve his life and well-being under hideous circumstances. Unable to find a way out of the havoc, Sergeant Scheider stepped on a bomb rather than risk capture by the barbaric Russian army (Bolls 46). German soldiers did commit atrocities. Any moral society considers their ruthlessness as unimaginable. At the same time, each one could be a soldier from Russia, Japan, or the United States. Most of them had the same goal of winning the war and going home. The German soldiers were not monsters. They made split-second decisions no man should have to make in order to safeguard their country, family, and themselves. Men followed orders and rationalized their necessity. In this way, they sought to decrease their responsibility for the Holocaust and other atrocities. Their military training and Nazi brainwashing allowed them to focus on the perceived benefits of a Germany victory and not the horror they inflicted on the Jews. For the most part, the common German soldiers were ordinary men who found themselves in inhumane situations devised
He spent hours reminiscing about the past and dreaming of the future. Love of family and home was his main motivation during the war. He could not forget Ilona, the Jewish girl he loved and the one Captain Filskeit murdered. Caught up in an evil phenomenon, Feinshals resented the war and wanted to go home (Bolls 152). Back in his hometown, he could return to his life, bed, and try to forget the war (Bolls 155). His character reflects the desires of a typical soldier far from home. Because of Hitler’s manipulation, the German people as a whole overlooked the actions of the army. They deserve some responsibility for war crimes. The middle class embraced Hitler’s ideology of a great Aryan race who would dominate Europe. They lived through traumatic times, and now, came their time to prosper. An example was Captain Bauer, a sweater salesman, who saw rough time get better under the Nazis (Bolls 44). He was a good man who wanted a comfortable life for his family. The Reich had given him that life and he needed to do what was necessary to keep it. His motives were …show more content…
They were humans caught up in an ideology with which they may or may not have agreed.
They only knew the pain of war and death. The death of loved ones, fellow soldiers, and the idea of their own death affected each soldier. They questioned the reason for war and its senseless devastation. Each of Böll’s character tried to preserve his life and well-being under hideous circumstances. Unable to find a way out of the havoc, Sergeant Scheider stepped on a bomb rather than risk capture by the barbaric Russian army (Bolls 46). German soldiers did commit atrocities. Any moral society considers their ruthlessness as unimaginable. At the same time, each one could be a soldier from Russia, Japan, or the United States. Most of them had the same goal of winning the war and going home. The German soldiers were not monsters. They made split-second decisions no man should have to make in order to safeguard their country, family, and themselves. Men followed orders and rationalized their necessity. In this way, they sought to decrease their responsibility for the Holocaust and other atrocities. Their military training and Nazi brainwashing allowed them to focus on the perceived benefits of a Germany victory and not the horror they inflicted on the Jews. For the most part, the common German soldiers were ordinary men who found themselves in inhumane situations devised