Many often say that the German people were victims of the Nazi regime, and to a significant extent, this is true. However, the German people must also reflect on who is responsible for that suffering. If they are honest with themselves, they will come to the inescapable conclusion that the blame lies with them.
There have been many cited reasons for the outbreak of World War II, with much of the blame placed on the world’s mistreatment of Germany after World War I. While there is some truth to this, it was also the Germans, alongside other smaller nations, who played a part in igniting that war.
The real reason the blame should fall on the German people is that they elected the man and the party that brought them to the brink of disaster. Not only did they elect Adolf Hitler, but on August 19, 1934, they also gave him carte blanche to do whatever he wanted through a referendum. It was the question presented to the German people:
“The office of the President of the Reich is unified with the office of the Chancellor. Consequently, all former powers of the President of the Reich are transferred to the Führer and Chancellor of the Reich, Adolf Hitler. He himself nominates his substitute. Do you, German man and German woman, approve of this regulation provided by this Law?”
While the government did use intimidation and electoral fraud to secure a ‘Yes’ vote, it’s important to acknowledge that many still voted ‘Yes’ willingly.
There were numerous signs before the 1933 elections and the 1934 referendum that Hitler and his associates were little more than thugs driven by hatred. What is often overlooked is the irony that Hitler was not even a German.
Germany did pay a high price for following a madman, but the cost was not nearly as high as the suffering endured by those who fell victim to the Nazi regime.
Below are some examples of the consequences of following a madman:
- A German prisoner of war returning to his hometown of Frankfurt to discover his house bombed and his family gone.
- A pile of bodies awaiting cremation after the firebombing of Dresden in February 1945.
- The war-torn Cologne Cathedral stands amidst the devastated area on the west bank of the Rhine in Cologne, Germany, April 24, 1945.
Let me be clear: I have many German friends, and there is a growing awareness among the generations born after the war of the consequences caused by their predecessors. I’ve noticed a troubling attitude shift about the war among some younger generations, raising questions about today’s understanding of historical lessons.
Sources
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_German_head_of_state_referendum
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/articles/zbrx8xs
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/how-did-adolf-hitler-happen
https://history.as.uky.edu/hitler-essential-background-information
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