The Wehrmacht Series 5: To the Bitter End Part 4 of 6

Hitler's army thundered through Europe from 1939 to 1945 and brought needless death and destruction to the continent. What was it like to serve in this army? What was it like to conduct one of the bloodiest wars in history? What was it like to occupy half of Europe and yet to suffer total defeat?




This five-part portrait provides long-awaited answers to questions such as these and sheds light on the Wehrmacht's complex bonds of loyalty, conscience and honour. It is a thought-provoking story of an army's evolution from defense troops to military force to exterminating power.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• wehrmacht
• wwii
• world
• war
• hitler

[randy95023]

9:57 to 10:05 "Common Sense"? An order is an order. If I'm a Battalion Commander and I give an order to 900 men I can't have 900 different interpretations of that order due to 900 men using what they consider Common Sense! In the military you are taught, rightly, to follow orders without question. Only exception is if the order is deemed illegal or against the Geneva Conventions, then you can disobey because the order itself is not legal. Military won't function if everybody get's a vote!

[ellin40]

Model was an outstanding soldier and a true military leader.

[MrLulzmaker]

@wasilaify 0:06 it looks to me like he knows how bad things are.

[myth1032]

@LimerickWarrior actually, Goebbels wasn't hanged, he killed himself and his wife

[TQLCVNCH]

@randy95023

Have you ever served in a Military as a enlist, I you have not, I can tell you right now, if your order is stupid and nonsense, your men will be pissed, that creates low moral, your men are also human, they have brains to think as well, they are not robot. Even the famous German Truppenfuhrung aslo mentions that orders have to be clear and reasonable, will you accept an order to attack and secure a 10 km long line of defense held by 2000 men when you have 100 men I lead men too.

[Clonetrooper1139]

Funny hearing that German officer use the term "not one step backwards". Wasn't that Stalin's rhetoric? He was probably shot if he survived. HA!

[fardiemann]

@randy95023 in such a hopeless situation, there would be no use in following that order, than i rather use common sense and survive.

[LimerickWarrior1]

@randy95023 Common sense , ahhh the army was leaderless?? and i dont think the Battalion had 900 men.

[LimerickWarrior1]

Goebbels was a weakling and anything but an ideal National Socalists, did no body turn around and say this ????

[Xenolith41]

@randy95023 When exactly did the Germans give a shit about the Geneva Convention? When they committed the Malmedy Massacre did they follow the Geneva Convention?

[dominic150]

@johneunson He killed his own children. That should give you an idea of just how sick he was.