Why are the World War II bad guys in Europe not the "Germans" any more?

Question

When I was growing up, the chief opponents of the UK, US and Russia in Europe were the "Germans". Now we only hear about the "Nazis" - like "the Nazi invasion of Poland" and so on. It's as if the Germans had nothing to do with it. This also has the consequence that we read about "dead Nazi submariers", when most of these guys would have been conscripts and not necessarily Nazis at all. Am I alone in thinking this change is deeply dishonest?

Answer 1

Because it is politically correct. Naturally today's Germans do not want to be associated with something so nasty. I don't blame them. Still, the Germans have not been as apologetic of their history as they should be. And they sure don't seem to appreciate anything that the U.S. has done for them. Basically, they're just losers. They regret their loss of standing in the world and now they're just going to act like whiny jackasses. Really, they just want to see the U.S. go down. Talk about betrayal!

Answer 2

No, actually you're right. The Germans were otherwise known as "Jerrys", the Russians as "Ivans", the Japanese as "Tojo", Americans as "Tommies"...you get the idea. The Germans and the Nazis were different; it's just that the Nazi party was the ruling political party in WWII so maybe it's because of that fact people assume that every German during this time was a Nazi. Germans who weren't Nazis enlisted (or were forced to enlist in some cases) were actually duped by Hitler's promises to rebuild Germany as a superpower given the fact they got the short end of the stick resulting from the Treaty of Versailles. It's unfortunate to this day that people still believe that every German was fighting for what the SS was doing and that they too had the same warped ideas that someone like, say, Mengele had, because most of them didn't know - they were fighting for the betterment of their country.

Answer 3

I think it is a more accurate description. Not all Germans were Nazis and it is wrong to assume that it was so. Just as not all Russians were Communists or all Italians were Fascists, or that all the British were Churchillites, or in modern times, are all Muslims terrorists. You cannot paint History in broad strokes. It is a far more complex subject than that. There was a German resistance to Hitler. They would have had to have been very brave men and women indeed. Should their part in the history of the world war be forgotten and them condemned as being part of the German war machine? Your point regarding the conscripts into the Nazi forces is a fair one and demonstrates the fear that many Germans must have felt living under the Hitler dictatorship. What would have happened to them had they refused to enlist? It is also true that many Germans enlisted willingly. All these people were victims of the Nazi regime and Nazi philosophy, so I believe it is more correct to say Nazi or Nazi Germany when referring to the actions taken by Hitler and his minions during this time.

Answer 4

The Germans haven't taken part in any military action, except as escorts to the RAF in when they bombed Belgrade.

Before the German military take an active part in NATO or UN operations, the populace need to dissassociate the German Military of today from that of the 1930's & 1940's.

With the growing war on terrorism, and the French still too selfish or chicken **** to take part in the war, the Germans will be useful allies.

By the way, the majority of Germans were not Nazis any more than all Irish were in the IRA, or all Americans are Red Indians, or all British swagger around in jodphurs carrying a swagger stick.

Answer 5

Old soldier, rest a sure there are lots of other people with the same thoughts so I won't say you are alone in thinking this change is deeply dishonest, but just what is *deeply dishonest* about this so-called change? (which is only a switch in terminology). These thoughts are actually reactionary,revanchistic and counterproductive, potentially fascistic in nature!

What century are you living in? Wake up man, WW II has been over for 61 years and 80% of people living in Germany are younger than that. Do you really want to stigmatize a whole nation/people because of the actions of their forefathers?

And what's all this "bad guys" stuff? Sounds familiar and where did this mentality bring the world? On the "Clash of Civilization." So polish whatever medals you have and let the rest of us get on with trying to build some "honest" peace!"

PS: I'm neither German; UK; US or Russian; just a neutral born post WW II European

Answer 6

Actually the Nazi's were a political party with many members, but most Germans especially the German Jews did not want what was happeneing to continue, many faced death by saying no and speaking out. We cannot judge a whole country for the actions of some of its members, for if we did the whole of America would be deemed baby killers for the war in Vietnam, and we know that many did not approve of that war either. What a countries leaders do should not be reflective on the people, only on those who willingly and knowingly followed the regime.

Answer 7

The one thing many of your answers seem to have forgotten that Hitler was an Austrian, who became invoved in German Politics and at a time when Germany was struggling with the depression and looking for solutions, was the very timely intervention of Hitler and his Nazi Political Party which was promising more and more during the 30's. People desperate to get out of the slump Germany was in, quickly joined the Nazi Party, until Hitler was so strong, you HAD to join the Nazi Party.

However, thousands of Germans fled to the West, Great Britain and the U.S.A. to escape Nazism, some taking up arms against them in our own forces. Germany is our ally now and probably the one of the most prosperous countries in Europe today. When we had German Prisoner of War Camps all over the U.K. They were actually re-educated to see how far and what the Nazi's were doing,i.e. the Holocaust and many other inhumane things. These people became very friendly with the British people after helping to re-build the devastation they caused by being withheld from returning to Germany, and help to rebuild towns and cities all over the U.K.

When they were allowed to leave and return to their own country, many friendships had bonded between the British and the P.O.W's. That some actually stayed in the U.K. Some married British Women, friendships were usually formed when the ban on speaking to them was lifted in 1946 and they would get to know them better by going to church. Some Churches changed their Hymn Books to English and German so they could sing the same songs but in their own languages. These Germans returned to Germany with a close love of the British people.

Answer 8

Don't forget that not every member of the Axis were Germans, and not every Nazi was German. Following the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria in 1938, many Austrians joined the National Socialist (Nazi) Party and fought on Hitler's side. In addition countries such as Romania, some Russians, and the Croats in Yugoslavia all fought on the German side. This is without the Italians, who are more commonly known as Fascists, although there is little difference.

So therefore the Germans were not the only enemy.

Answer 9

Because the democratic-elected gov't of all parties over the year have outlawed pro-Nazi speech and political activity.

All parties accept responsibility for the people's role in the Holocaust

The people have demonstrated through election results that they have accepted responsibility for their past and turned their back on those ideas.

Submarine service was almost exclusively a volunteer service. It was a high honor and reserved to the best of the best, conscripts served in the Wermacht (Army).

The evil of Nazism was its intolerance and hate of all things non-German. The govts of Germany since their defeat have been exceedingly tolerant of all religions, cultures, and non-Germans. The nation is now having problems because there are so many Muslims, mainly Turks, who don't speak German and are not part of the culture. The opposite of Nazism, too much non-German influence.

Answer 10

The change isn't dishonest. The average German soldier, airman, sailor or submariner were regular guys. There is no point in going on pointing a finger at all Germans. It's 61 years since the end of World War II and some of us have grown up during this time.
My daughters were educated in German in Switzerland. When studying in England they made friends with an American girl who had been brought up in Germany because her father was a USAF pilot. They often spoke German together and on one occasion were verbally assaulted by a youth who thumped on their table and demanded, 'Who one the war?' When my eldest daughter replied 'Our grandfathers' he wanted to know why they were speaking German.

I myself was accosted in a Midlands pub. I was on holiday in England and my colleague (a Swiss/Peruvian) doesn't speak English and my Spanish leaves a lot to be desired, so we speak German together. .There was what could only be described as 'an 'orrible 'ush' and then someone asked, quite loudly if we were German. Rather snootily I replied that I was English. Why then were we speaking German? For the sake of peace and quiet I explained that we were from Switzerland and German was our common language, but I still think such people are primitive.
Mind you, if I spoke Arabic in a pub in the UK I might get shot. So I suppose I have to be thankful for small mercies.

Answer 11

Well thats because the Nazi's were the ones who set up the invasion and started the camps etc. The German army was under Nazi command. But if you want to live in the past then so be it but using the term Nazi at least relieves some of the embarassment from the current German populus