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Unethical torture methods
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Unethical torture methods
Communists in russia
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It is almost universally understood that the winners of war often write history. With this concept comes the acceptance that history can and is construed in a way that benefits the winner and can hide the truth. In George Robert Elford’s book, Devil’s Guard, Elford accounts for the perspective of a former Waffen SS officer who joined the French Foreign Legion upon the conclusion of World War 2. Throughout this story, many obstacles, adventures, and morals are explored that communicate various perceptions on what war (particularly the war in Vietnam during the French occupation) was like. The book conveys various arguments such as the exploration of unconventional warfare and the struggle of decisive action when the chain of command has
Stasiland examines at the post war operations of the German Stasi after the war. It is written by Anna Funder who is an Australian journalist. Both George Orwell and Anna Funder are outsiders from liberal democracies. Neither of these authors has any experience of oppressive regimes but both feel morally outraged by the Stasi and Stalin’s rule.
Christopher R. Browning’s Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and The Final Solution in Poland is seen as one of the most influential book in Holocaust studies. The book traces the Reserve Police Battalion (hereafter RPB-101), a single German unit, throughout their military duty. These soldiers were instructed to kill innocent Jewish men, woman and children in Poland. Most of the men in the RPB-101 were originally deemed not suitable of conscription. When massacres in history occur, it is in the nature of human beings to think of the culprits as being different from normal people; savages or villains that kill for pleasure or have no remorse.
Our flag represents the new era, chant Hans and Herribert, our flag leads us to eternity.” (Doerr, 42) This passage provided a better image of how naive and brainwashed civilians of the Nazi regime became. The author provides a description which underlyingly emphasizes the historical aspect of the book; readers can infer the time period and location just from the greetings used and the manner of the citizens. Because the general traffic on streets today have a destination or purpose, I found it interesting that people seemed to casually inhabit
When learning about and analyzing acts of mass atrocity during World War II, hundreds if not thousands of questions can be asked trying to gain a deeper understanding for their actions. Probably one of the most intriguing thoughts to ponder is what leads individuals and societies as a whole to descend to such a level of cruelty. According to the author of Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, one reason may be, “Few societies treasured dignity, and feared humiliation, as did the Japanese, for whom a loss of honor could merit suicide. This is likely one of the reasons why Japanese soldiers in World War II debased their prisoners with such zeal, seeking to take from them that which was most painful and destructive to lose” (189). To elaborate, the Japanese
Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder focuses on the center of the violence during one of Europe’s most violent periods of time: the mass killing committed by the Soviet Union and the Nazis of Germany in the borderlands of Eastern Europe. Snyder claims that between the 1930s and 1945, aside from the deaths occurring from battle, the Soviets killed four million people in the borderland region and the Nazis killed ten million people in the region (p. xiii). He also illuminates the effects of animosity toward race in Nazism and hatred directed at classes in Stalinism causing one of the darkest periods in history. Snyder goes on to explain how the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany use starvation, labor camps, gas chambers, ethnic and social cleansing to advance
In Chapter Eight of All Quiet on the Western Front(1958), readers received an in-depth look at the relationship between soldiers and Russian prisoners. Many will believe that these men who are from two different groups do not have anything in common, whereas they are living in similar situations. War is like a prison for these soldiers in their own way, they are trapped mentally and physically in the state of war. Soldiers and prisoners have significant similarities due to the lack of basic needs, the lack of freedom, separation from their families, and living conditions.
Their fingers on the triggers, they did not deprive themselves of the pleasure. If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog.” (Wiesel 85). This quote justifies the heartless actions of the SS men. While testing the emaciated prisoner’s endurance, without hesitation, the SS men proceeded to executing any Jewish hostage who dares to refuse
All prisoners from the concentration camps suffered in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Failure to comply meant one’s own death, and death of any individual would not stop the Nazi officers from finding others to do the job. To say any victim was worse off than others would be to belittle their suffering; suffering itself is not a competition. Tadeusz Borowski’s story is said to be “one of the cruelest of testimonies to what man did to man, and a pitiless verdict that anything can be done to a human being” (Borowski 12). Borowski’s disturbing account depicts the atrocities of victims-turned-executioner.
In a desperate attempt for peace, as ironic as it may be, we create chaos, resulting in the death of millions at a time. Firearms burn bright in the dim sun, exposing the vibrancy of blood-stained suits. As the bullets penetrate skin, the life of another innocent individual has already been lost. Families never to hear a last, “I love you” before their loved one tragically passes in a loud, chaotic mess. They run towards the danger, knowing exactly what result the soldiers might have gotten in the gamble of life or death.
His initial inclination not to take them very seriously – a common attitude among their inexperienced opponents - helped the Nazi Regime gain power and worked against his own freedom. Even without supporting them, the regime gave him ‘permission’ to leave certain events, ‘orders’ to boycott certain businesses and if he merely refused to join in, was subjected to insults, humiliations and even physical violence, insinuating only an illusion of freedom in favor for total control. The only way to defend against the Nazis, at street level, was to adopt their violent tactics, or ‘howl with the wolves’ and fit into their new culture. Even though the Nazi party was his enemy, Haffner had no choice but to watch as they gained dominance in everyday lives. Haffner hides his doubts and disloyalty to appease the hoards of new German soldiers marching through his neighborhood, but is quick to duck down alleyways as they approach in order to avoid showing public loyalty.
Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.
Retaining one’s virtue whilst living in Nazi Germany is challenging,
In the sea of “thousands of people who died daily in Auschwitz and Birkenau”[pg.62], it was that one rebellious kid who sparked hope in the hearts of others. For those whose liberty is squashed, the bold words “long live liberty”[pg.62] can have tremendous meaning. But rather, it was due to the respect the boy deserved that hope arose. It was due to his courage that “the soup tasted better than ever”[pg.63] — or else his death would have gone in vain. In contrast to this, when the little pipel was hanged, the “Lagerkapo [head of the camp] refused to act as executioner.
In Night one of the ways that the Jews were dehumanized was by abuse. There were beatings, “I never felt anything except the lashes of the whip... Only the first really hurt.” (Wiesel, 57) “They were forced to dig huge trenches. When they had finished their work, the men from the Gestapo began theirs.