Why did Guderian, Rommel et al. continue fighting when aware of Nazi evils?

[Space05us]

Would you fight for the Nazis if they said they could teach you how to save your wife?

If my wife wanted me to, yes.

[Drake Tungsten]

What if she didn't? What if fighting for the Nazis would break her heart?

[Saras]

Guderian is falling over himself in 'Panzer General' explaining that he has serving the vaterland and staying true to soldiers honour. I'd tend to believe him - delaying the inevitable misery that Soviet occupation would bring to Germany (i'm not judging the Soviets here) was in my opinion (based on his book) what drove him to fight on.

[GePap]

Well, the general reason seems to be keeping the Oath all members of the German military took to the Fuhrer and the Fatherland. NOt to fight for the Nazi's would have been a case of breaking their oath.

[Saras]

That as well. GePap

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
Why did Colin Powell go along with the Neo-con agenda?

Good point here, and one that I think may be helpful to bring up in the presentation.

I can't remember where I heard it, but there was someone who knew Powell well and explained his reasons for going along with what happened. Powell knew that war with Iraq was inevitable and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Perhaps this was in the Frontline investigation.

He and many of his peers had spent their whole careers forming what was known as the Powell Doctrine. They formed this Doctrine after studying Vietnam and why that war was such a disaster. They didn't want the US to ever repeat those mistakes.

Now, Powell was still close with many in the armed forces, who were would be called to duty when the war in Iraq went down. He wanted to give them the best chance possible to suceed, and he knew that they would have a better fighting chance as long as he was involved in the whole thing as possible. In the end, it really comes down to what all you military guys always tell me, is that it's about protecting the guys next to you. Powell simply wanted to protect his people, who were going to be put in harm's way.

It really had nothing to do with Saddam Hussein or the neo-con agenda.

He was being a good soldier.

[Frozzy]

Thanks a lot guys, especially Saras and GePap. Very strong points there. I really should try to ruffle up a copy of Panzer General to help me out

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Space05us
If they stopped they and thier families would be killed by the nazis. That would motivate me right quickly to fight for evil.

Except that Guderian and was fired after arguing too much against Hitler. Neither he nor his family were killed by the Nazis.

Several other generals stood up to Hitler and were fired, but not executed.

The idea that the generals had no choice is a myth.

[techumseh]

Why do we keep driving SUV's, even though we know it creates climate change that will cause the deaths of millions?

[Starchild]

@ Drake

[CerberusIV]

Guderian's whole experience was about rebuilding the role of Germany after the Versailles Diktat. All his work between the world wars was to that end - restoring German pride and removing the military weakness of Germany that Versailles had enforced. Also there was a fair amount of popular support for Hitler for his promises to restore Germany. So it should not be any surprise that Guderian worked wholeheartedly on building up and leading the panzer forces for the regime.

It only turned sour for Guderian in 1941 when he opposed the invasion of Russia. His acceptance of his later recall can be seen purely as patriotism in trying to defend his country, rather than defend the Nazi party.

Patriotism is a two edged sword. Winston Churchill and Bomber Harris were patriots too, but they didn't go on trial for war crimes.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by notyoueither

So? If Rommel and Guderian are considered "good WWII Germans", why did they continue fighting?

Rommel didn't, or did you miss the bit where he was forced to commit suicide after being implicated in the July '44 plot to topple Hitler?

As for Guderian, he was shuffled off from important posts. At one point he was retired, but was brought back to push papers as a superintendant of mobile forces, or some such. I do not recall him doing anything of significance after 1941, but there may be something I am forgetting.

Rommel was Hitler's military aide during the invasion of Poland. Guderion was the head of panzer troops (iirc something like an inspector general of cavalry in times past) after Hitler stopped being mad at him for insubordination. He was largely responsible for the rebuilding of the German panzer forces after the losses in 1942 and was justifiably worried when Hitler started looking around for something to attack in 1943. IIRC the quote was something like, Mein Fuhrer, why do you want to attack anywhere this year?

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Except that Guderian and was fired after arguing too much against Hitler. Neither he nor his family were killed by the Nazis.

Several other generals stood up to Hitler and were fired, but not executed.

The idea that the generals had no choice is a myth.

Hitler executed Roehm and two generals who opposed him in 1934 and brutally put down the SA, so their fears weren't entirely ridiculous. The plotters against Hitler who were discovered fared rather poorly as well.

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by Starchild
@ Drake

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

If they stopped they and thier families would be killed by the nazis. That would motivate me right quickly to fight for evil.

Would you fight for the Nazis if they said they could teach you how to save your wife?