Which armies during WW2 were more sadistic and barbarian : the Germans or Japanese?

Question

Thanks for all the answers thus far and esp. Stan for your stand on the Germans. Yes, this certainly bring back what I read :) appreciate that. I read much about the atrocities of the Japanese and your mention about the honor of Geneva Convention by the Germans (except to the Russians) clarify my thoughts :)

I will like to hear more sharing pls.

tks tiktok too for pointing out 'the germans were mostly proffesional soldiers who wanted nothing to do with the brutality of the ss divisions.'

I had the same sentiments of above mentioned but that's just my opinion. i need to read more.

Answer 1

My grandfather is a veteran of WWII. He often tells me that he is glad he was fighting in the European Theatre and not the Pacific. To this day, he has nothing but sincere respect for the German soldier. He often comments on their professionalism, their training, and their fighting. He was captured by the Germans near the end of the war. They tended to his wounds and kept him comfortable. He has nothing bad to say about them. They were just doing their job. Conversely, the Japanese soldier was known for torturing prisoners, killing enemy wounded soldiers on the field, and using POWs for slave labour. He feels for any Allied soldier that had to fight in the Pacific.

Answer 2

If you were captured by the German army you could consider reasonably good treatment. They allowed the red cross in. They treated their prisoners according to the Geneva convention, with respect and some dignity. If you pushed your luck they would punish you but they were not sadistic to their prisoners as a rule. Of course there was an occasion in the Ardine forest where they literally murdered a few hundred prisoners. But that was the exception, not the rule.
The Japanese had no such consideration. If you surrendered you were a disgrace as a soldier and you were treated as such. During the Batan death march they beheaded anyone who fell behind and a few just for the heck of it. Then there was the rape of Nan King.
They had a very different standard than the Germans. They had no problem torturing and murdering prisoners.

Answer 3

The Japanese were the worst. It may suprise some people, but they were.

Sure, the Russians and Germans committed genocide. So did the Japanese. The Japanese and Koreans have always hated each other, and the Japanese tried to butcher them, as well as the Chinese.

The big issue is what did some do that others didn't. The Germans and Russians took some steps to care for their prisoners-of-war. The Germans took pretty decent care of them (I don't know about the Russians). The Japanese acted differently. They marched some prisoners-of-war into the jungle and kept them going until they died, they executed some for no reason. When they started losing, they killed entire groups.

Answer 4

From what ive read and heard the japanese were the most sadistic and brutal. the germans were mostly proffesional soldiers who wanted nothing to do with the brutality of the ss divisions. and the russians were brutal towards the germans in revenge for the attrocities of those ss divisions.

Answer 5

The Japanese hands down, first their war on China amounted to genocide, read up on Unit 731. This was the Japanese unit involved in biological/chemical experiments on the Chinese people. Then read about the atrocities committed against British and American forces in the Pacific theatre

Answer 6

Ever wonder why there were no TV shows or movies made of Japanese POW camps like there were sem-comedies of German camps (Hogan's Heroes, Stalag 17)? Nothing much to laugh about, I suppose...

Answer 7

The Japanese chopped off heads on put them on stools in crowed places to scare people .

They stuck a hose in your mouth force you to drink till your stomach grows and step on ya .

But i think both were just as bad .

Answer 8

Horrible to think about.
I certainly wasn't there but have talked to many civilians and veterans.
Many were brutal but again many conscripts just wanted to get home alive.

Answer 9

The Russians and the Germans (they did commit Genocide).

Answer 10

Japanese for sure...They had such sadistic ways that I don't even want to write about them...