Jews in the German Army Term Paper

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Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler took advantage of the people's dissatisfaction with the treaty and in the hands of the Nazis, this issue was used to rationalize brutal persecution of entire ethnic minorities and political groups. This effort against previous international settlements enabled a junction of their political programs, war aims, and racist ideologies.

Hitler has also decreed that the SS were to be treated as "organizations in the service of the State," and thus, achieved a very high status in the society. The special position of the SS man meant that he must be dealt with in a special way. With that, no state court, nor even a Nazi Party court, had the right to judge an SS man. If so, this was to be the sole privilege and responsibility of SS judges and high ranking officers.

It was so obvious that because of the privileges that were granted to the SS, there rose a conflict between them and the German Army. The latter felt that they were deliberately opposed.

Given the above information, we have noticed that there were a lot of roles that Jews have played in fighting for the German military. The Mischlinge fought in the German Army in order to prove that they were real Germans. Others fought as a way to escape the hardship, pain, and even death that was caused by Hitler's implementation of the racial laws. Another one could be because of companionship and a great bonding that has developed between soldiers. Some soldiers remained with the army, hoping that it will serve as a protection not only for themselves but for their families and relative as well. Without them knowing, they were just used to gather a greater force but soon they will be exterminated together with the other Jews.

There was really a great division between the Jews during those times. German Jews inflicted hardship to non-German Jews, although, there is the same Jewish blood that run in their veins. Some Mischlinge were in favor of the Nazi racial classification as well as the undivided policies of conventional Judaism. They even disgusted the way non-German Jews pay tribute to their God through prayers and thanksgiving.

These same Jews were the ones who fought for the Third Reich. At first, they saw themselves as real Germans just like the Jews of the U.S. civil war who fought for the south and yet, there, they were fighting against each other.

The Word War II aftermath seemed to be a nightmare experience and did left a deep speck in every nation in almost every aspect - emotionally, physically, economically, to name a few. Millions of people lost their lives, those who survived suffered disability, emotional stress brought by the invasions remained for years, economic distress and poverty were tremendously present almost everywhere, and a number of people were displaced and became prisoners of war.

Of all those things that happened, who's to be blamed? Could it be Adolf Hitler's ambition to conquer the world?

Or could they been the powerful and military allies of the Nazi?

What was the real status of the Jewish soldiers - were they heroes in terms of defending the German army? Or were they victims of the society that they once considered as their own but in the end it was the same society that persecuted them?

If we try to delve a little into the factors that brought the Jewish soldiers as well as the Aryans in the different fights that they have encountered, there seemed to be different motives within their hearts.
Some Aryans fought in the Wehrmacht, particularly in the eastern front, although they were strongly against Nazis. Although part of the German army, there were also a number of them who were against the scheme being implemented by Hitler and even plotted to kill him. But, what was the main reason they stayed in the army? Was it because they got used to the ways and lifestyle they had from the beginning, or due to the influence of friendship? These questions may vary in number and may remain unanswered for some. We may have our individual perceptions, but, only those who were directly became part of it will definitely have their own reasons of staying or going on the other way.

Racism is but an old ideology that goes far until the present times. If this will be used as one of the basis in dealing with our fellow or in attaining whatever purpose we may have, perhaps, we will not be able to attain the real meaning of peace and freedom. It has been an open fact since the very beginning that it will not bring any good at all if we stick into placing a wall in between races. If we could only instill in our minds that we are all brothers, no matter what the color of skin we may have, we should take into consideration that we are human beings. We deserve to be treated as a person, each with equal rights to live and express what we feel is right and beneficial to one and all. Peace and harmony lie on our hands.

Bibliography:

Hofer, Walther (ed.). Der Nationalsozialismus Dokumente 1933-1945 (Frankfurt (I am Main: Fischer Bucherei KG, 1957), p. 71.

Oath of Loyalty." Taken at http://ddickerson.igc.org/oath-of-loyalty.html, Retrieved on November 15, 2006

Snyder, Louis L. Encyclopedia of the….....

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