[quote]
There has been a renewed call in Italy for one of the oldest surviving Nazi war criminals to repent.
It came on the eve of the 100th birthday of Erich Priebke, who has never expressed remorse for his part in a World War ll massacre at the Ardeatine Caves, on the outskirts of Rome.
The former SS officer is actually still in the Italian capital.
He lives under house arrest in what some in the city regard as conditions that are far too comfortable and lenient.
An association representing families of some of the victims of the massacre has called on the ex-Nazi to "find the courage to ask for forgiveness".
The killing of 335 Italian civilians in March 1944 was an act of revenge.
A bomb planted by partisans on a street in Rome had killed 33 German soldiers.
And it is believed that Adolf Hitler himself ordered the murder of 10 times that number of local people.
The victims were rounded up and then taken to the network of caves on the city's southern outskirts, where they were all shot.
The slaughter went on for hours.
And among the officers overseeing it was Erich Priebke.
After the war, he escaped to South America, but was eventually tracked down in Argentina by an American television newsman, and there was a dramatic encounter in a street.
The elderly Priebke, looking like any other pensioner, in a black hat and grey jacket, turned and began answering questions about the massacre.
"Yes I was there," he said. "But that was a thing that was ordered by our [commanders].
"An order was an order... I had to carry it out."
[/quote]
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23468227]Article (BBC)[/url]
I just have to imagine what it must have been like, if what he is saying is true.
If you effectively have a gun to your head being told to kill people, with the only options being to either try and desert (and likely get caught/shot/etc.) or carry it out, what would you do?
It's easy in hindsight to say he should have just left but if your life's on the line what are you supposed to do as a soldier or even an officer?
[QUOTE=Megafan;41641910]I just have to imagine what it must have been like, if what he is saying is true.
If you effectively have a gun to your head being told to kill people, with the only options being to either try and desert (and likely get caught/shot/etc.) or carry it out, what would you do?
It's easy in hindsight to say he should have just left but if your life's on the line what are you supposed to do as a soldier or even an officer?[/QUOTE]
But then on the flip side the Nazi regime, and others like it were built completely on complicity.
But yes I can see why its unfair to point out individuals and say why didn't you do anything.
There's also the fact this isn't necessarily one of the racial cleansing war crimes, or massacres of a targeted group of people. It was a concentrated punitive execution for partisan's actions. While certainly chilling, and abhorrent, this type of thing was very popular among western nations up until that period.
I think "unrepentant Nazi" is a little harsh. It sounds more like he's come to terms with what he had to do and doesn't believe in hiding it.
[QUOTE=Megafan;41641910]I just have to imagine what it must have been like, if what he is saying is true.
If you effectively have a gun to your head being told to kill people, with the only options being to either try and desert (and likely get caught/shot/etc.) or carry it out, what would you do?
It's easy in hindsight to say he should have just left but if your life's on the line what are you supposed to do as a soldier or even an officer?[/QUOTE]
The defense that he was personally at threat if he refused to carry out the executions was rejected in the Italian appeals court as baseless. He was also convicted for helping to plan the murders, including drawing up the list of those to be executed.
[QUOTE=Megafan;41641910]I just have to imagine what it must have been like, if what he is saying is true.
If you effectively have a gun to your head being told to kill people, with the only options being to either try and desert (and likely get caught/shot/etc.) or carry it out, what would you do?
It's easy in hindsight to say he should have just left but if your life's on the line what are you supposed to do as a soldier or even an officer?[/QUOTE]
He's an SS officer, not a Wehrmacht officer. He knew what he got himself into when he joined the SS, he knew he would have to kill jews,gays,gypsies etc.
Forced or not, he's as guilty as someone who wanted to kill innocents.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3hsI3AUs88[/media]
The confrontation the article talks about.
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