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Thanks for clearing that up about the 99.9% figure. Yes, as a whole, the Nazi Party was morally indefensible.
However, you should read up on your Waffen SS history. They actually forced Germans and especially non-Germans to fight in SS formations, mainly on the Eastern Front during the later years of WW2. Read about the 1944 expansion of the Waffen SS, such as the formation of the 15th and 19th Waffen-Grenadier Divisions der SS (Lettische Nr. 1 and 2) and the 20th Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS (Estnische Nr. 1) - those formations contained a large number of conscripts. In fact, exemptions were made after WW2 during the condemnation of the Waffen SS, such as during the Nuremberg Trials, where members conscripted from 1943 onward were recognized as having been forced into service.
Again, I want to make it clear that I do not condone the Nazi Party as an ideology, nor do I think that as an entity, the members of this party were in the right. However, care should be made not to paint all members of the SS in general, and the Waffen SS in particular, as being willing and voluntary Nazi's. The exceptions to this rule weren't even far and few in between.
The forcing was in the form of fighting under Waffen-SS instead of independent armys; they would've fought Soviets one way or another.
All together that adds up to less than 100,000 volunteers and conscripts - drop in a bucket of 20,000,000 force.
I see what you are saying: just because you were under Nazi control didn't automatically make you a Nazi. I don't see what that has to do with my disgust of Nazis and disapproval of "ownership" of Nazi memorabilia (including firearms)?
Can we let the nazi's die already? The Simon Wiesenthal act is getting old.
You mean as partisans? Perhaps so, but they would have done this of their own choosing. Many were drafted into the SS against their own will, which is my point here. Just as with any other military or political entity that is not homogeneous in nature, not all members of the Waffen SS (and the NSDAP) marched in perfect lock-step to the music of Nazi Party ideology.
What is this 20,000,000 number you speak of? We were discussing the Nazi Party in general and Waffen SS membership in particular; total membership in the Nazi Party by the end of WW2 was around 8.5 million, with around 1 million soldiers serving (voluntarily or involuntarily) in the Waffen SS. By the way, Nazi Party membership accounted for about 12% of the German population - not a majority by any means.
It doesn't. I get it that your aversion to all things Nazi stems from your family tragedy - that's understandable, and I respect it. Leaving aside the highly subjective issue of the quality of the Waffenampt-marked K98k's, I was addressing the historically inaccurate statements you've made in this thread. I wanted to clear those up so other forum members with minimal knowledge of the military history of WW2, specifically on the Eastern Front, don't propagate erroneous bits of information.
The title of this thread is "K98k's and politics". We're engaged in a discussion of just this - but if you don't like it, you can simply ignore the thread
I guess what's so amazing to me is the hypocracy - who wants to talk about Soviet war techniques? (war crime is BS - war is a crime) Who signed the Geneva Convention? Who didn't? Whose official policy was rape and torture? Do folks get their panties in a wad over an Arisaka with a mum on it? How about my 1929 91/30 with the hammer and sickle? want input on firebombing of Japanese cities? German civilians? Hospitals? It's ridiculous to assert that every American knew/cooperated with allied bombing practices 1944-45, yet some here assume each Nazi is responsible for brutality of their government.
At least now, with 60-70 years of history behind us, we can see how wrong they were.
At least now, with 60-70 years of history behind us, we can see how wrong they were.
The title of this thread is "K98k's and politics". We're engaged in a discussion of just this - but if you don't like it, you can simply ignore the thread
Wasn't talking to you. But by all means continue the circle jerk.
And how dead they are. You would think every Saturday once a month there's a neo-nazi rally in some peoples hometown the way this thread has went.
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