Two days ago I found two interesting photos.Is a question to all members of forum:What represented on these photos act of mercy or it is just propaganda trick?
It may be both circumstances. It’s hard to deduce it just watching two pictures. The only answer may comes from personal feelings. I go for mercy. I like to think that these feelings may comes from every soldier, from every Army…
If they are SS I doubt mercy. Especially if on the Russian Front.
Deaf
What we can see in the left photo is of course a sadistic Waffen-SS Übermensch feeding pure acid to the wounded Bolshevic and subsequently gloating over the mess.
I forgot…during the Kursk offensive, July 1943.
No what we can see is a good photo-op. And quite possibly shot after it was taken.
You really think the Waffen-SS played nice to Russian soldiers?
Deaf
Never. Soldiers of the Red Army were “No comrades!” according to the German leadership.
I voted for propaganda photo, but I don’t think the Russians were shot after the picture… Just I hope they become Pows. Deaf Smith, I don’t think that SS shot every prisoner…
I know the was the order to kill every man of NKVD or every political commissioner (like in Soviet side every SS)… but I don’t know how much strictly it was carried out. Surely the most…
It depended on the commanders, too. For example in northern Africa, after some cruelty episodes (like killing prisoners etc.) Hitler ordered to shoot every British Commando captured alive, but Rommel avoided to carry out.
In July 1941 it was Field Marshal Walter von Reichenau who called it a “misunderstood act of humanity” if Soviet POW’s and civilians not in German service were catered by the troops. On October 2, 1941 Hitler announced that “this enemy does not consist of soldiers but -for the most part- of beasts”. Another quote of Hitler written down by Franz Halder (head of the Army General Staff) says: “We have to disavow from the attitude of soldierly comradeship. The communist is not a comrade, he never was and he never will be.”
So aiding a wounded Soviet POW actually was not in accordance with German propaganda.
One time i read on time life magazine, with picture of a surrenderd japanese soldiers were given waters by GI at iwojima, the picture explained that the surrendered Japanese providing american some information on the Iwojima tunnels.
This might one of similar case.
So no mercy and no propaganda… I think we have to find the third choice…
Do you now the third choise?
No, i haven’t any idea about the third choice… It just want to be a quip in order to remark that, probably, we’ve gone little out of topic. In the attempt to answer to the question “propaganda or mercy?” it’s quite inevitable that, me included, we try to realize something about the intentions or the attitude of the SS in the picture. I don’t think it may be suitable for this matter. The only thing we should consider is the real purpose and the reason why these pictures were shot and about the use they did.
Actually in a way it was.
Higher ups tried all the time to get prisoners for Intel, especially the Japanese. Lots of them talked their heads off once they realized they were to actually be treated well but for the most part it was a sort of 'war of annihilation’, as the Germans did .vs. the Russians (but Hitler actually said to the German people it was such a war.)
There were just too many suicidal Japanese so for the grunts on the sharp in they didn’t take chances with the Japanese.
Deaf
“Mercy” is hard to find on an active battlefield, but acts of human decency crop up all the time, especially involving wounded men. With regard to the pictures in question - I agree that it would not be in keeping with German propaganda standards for the Eastern front. It appears more likely that it was nothing more than an individual German giving a drink to an individual Russian. However - it was photographed ! Which means that it was staged for reasons other than official propaganda or it was random takes by a German photographer on the scene.
I’m inclined to agree w/ftg, skorzeny, and toastmaker. I think it was a spontaneous photo. We must remember that not all germans were Nazs, and not all Nazis were German. Pehaps this soldat joined the SS for the same reasons many soldiers join elite units. Better training, better equipment, better chance for survival. Or maybe he just wanted to feel human again. Who knows?
Why does a Photo = staged? My dad was in the German army and also had a camera. He took hundreds of photos and when they were captured by the Americans , he was sent to some intel station where they debriefed him on what they represented.
Id say mercy the quality of this ? propaganda photo is not up to the usual german "staged " photos of the time.No powerfull rugged jaw SS soldier saving the life of a wounded “untermensch” his face displaying thanks for his saviour the master race.
I agree with Deaf Smith, the SS was merciless, especially with russian… But, there are aways exceptions, so I think they are both.