President Lincoln and the Sioux Indian uprising in Minnesota in 1862

[Eva Elisabeth]

(10-11-2014 06:55 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  But what about the Germans who hated Hitler and were just defending their country because it was being attacked, even though it was the fault of their leader that they were being attacked? Should they not have defended their country because it was not a just war? Should they have joined the Allies?

The following thoughts and comments are mainly based upon my family's history.

From what they told I personally don't think there were many "who hated Hitler and were just defending their country because it was being attacked", particularly at that point in time. I think those who fought against being attacked were those who still fought for Hitler's Germany (or were forced to do).

I don't think then and now the majority of Germans had (and have) a "national feeling" compared to other nations (like the Americans, English, French etc.). On October, 3rd (our main national holiday) you won't see many Germans celebrating or giving special attention to the day other than that it's a day off.
People rather identified (and still do) themselves with the region they live(d) in (like feeling Bavarian, or "a Berliner", or an East Prussian, etc.). Thus if people wanted to defend anything from attacks this was rather their land and property, and maybe their region. My family (whose land was threatened and finally taken by the Russians - yes, due to Hitler's war), had never supported Hitler or his ideologies and was against the war. They didn't fight to stop him either. They had never been much interested in politics or the war and had hoped all would not be(come) as bad as it turned out to be, and pass by quickly. They hoped not to get involved and to be able to simply go on with their daily life - undisturbedly and in peace. (My father, born 1912, who lived in the very west, escaped military duties by working as a paymaster.)

Towards the end of the war, my grandfather and my grandma's brothers (all living in East Prussia) were forced to conscription, taken away from their wifes and children, and had to serve in the army. In the end all was about saving as much as possible, which turned out to be "not more" than staying alive.

To my family the Allies were saviors who brought back peace and safety. Nevertheless, since almost all men who were able to serve were forced to do so - who should have "joined the Allies"? Also do you think they would have wanted to fight against their own family members who were taken away and forced to army duties? My grandma and mother hadn't heard anything of their father, husband, and brothers after they had been taken away from them until about two years after the war ended. They neither knew whether they were alive nor where they had to serve (my grandfather in Russia, where he was imprisioned by the Russians, and my grandma's brothers, having previously been captains on family mercant vessels, on submarines).
Most families in the area had similar histories and fates.