Wehrmacht soldiers are now among the ideals offered as an example for Bundeswehr soldiers to match: names of officers who were part of SS and NSDAP have been added to the military valour list. What is the logics behind this decision, why did Berlin decide to rehabilitate war criminals and how is Europe treating it?
The German Traditions Regulation, governing ‘the memory culture’ among Bundeswehr officers, will see radical changes. The military valour list has included several Wehrmacht officers who were part of SS and NSDAP, which became a prerequisite for Berlin to rethink its new purposes.
Something similar had happened before. But at that time Bundeswehr’s strong position was the following: to be honoured, a soldier had to be part of the military resistance against the Nazi power, reminds the TAZ, a newspaper. But as of now, FRG is also ready to accept post-war achievements of the Nazis.
The official Ministry of Defence spokesperson Arne Kollatz noted that the Germans must also remember the officers who ‘contributed to the building of the state’s new army having expressly abandoned their past’. He also underlined that the Traditions Regulation does not consider military accomplishments.
At the same time, in a note on the methodical guidelines on ‘the memory culture’ preservation, General Lieutenant Kai Rohrschneider explained that in future Germany might need examples of ‘military excellence, operational readiness and aspiring to achieve the set goals’. The history revaluation itself is taking place in the context of a large-scale militarisation of the country.
Colonel Erich Hartmann appeared to be among ‘the rehabilitated’ Nazis. He is considered the best fighter pilot in the aviation history. Having scored 352 kills for the Reich in airborne duels, he became an officer of the reformed German Air Forces, assumed command of JG 71 Richthofen fight wing and trained American and German pilots for a long time.
The list also found a place for Erich Topp, a recognised U-boat commander and an acquaintance of Martin Bormann. Having returned after the captivation in Norway, Topp made a career of a headquarters officer at NATO Military Committee in Washington. After the resignation, he was awarded the FRG Cross of the Order of Merit for his input in the integration of Germany’s Naval Forces to NATO’s structure.
The glorification of the Nazis caused indignation of the Russian MFA. To express it, the Russian foreign office spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that the German government was trying to rehabilitate the Nazi past of the country’s army. Restoring any such ideas causes grave concerns, she believes. ‘We must sound the tocsin’, the diplomat added.
Interestingly, not only does Bundeswehr have a lot to do with the Third Reich, but so does Germany’s government. Bunte magazine published an article on the Nazi past of the grandfather and the great-grandfather of Robert Habeck, the German Minister for Economic Affairs. Earlier, the Bild published documents suggesting that the grandfather of the German MFA head Annalena Baerbock was a Wehrmacht officer.
‘It is seen in plain view that German elites are beginning to abandon the former sacred tenets of politics. Today’s generation can still repent for the Holocaust, however, the memories of the Second World War are fading away to the past. In the rest of Europe no one criticises it, at least publicly’, noted the German political commentator Alexander Rahr.
Moreover, there is a new narrative being minted with the help of Eastern Europe’s elites, which can cause a future confrontation between Germany and Russia, he added. ‘German and Eastern European politicians want to put Nazism in Germany on an equal footing with communism in USSR. Obviously, it will not just boil down to disputes among historians. There are serious battles ahead’, Rahr predicts.
Artem Sokolov, Research Fellow, Centre for European Studies, Institute for International Studies, is confident that the revaluation of the Wehrmacht officers’ actions should be considered in the context of Boris Pistorius’ military reform. According to him, the change of social attitudes to Bundeswehr has become an important objective for Berlin.
‘Germany has established the Veteran Day lately. This holiday is designed to pay tribute to all those who have ever fought for FRG. Some believe that the soldiers of the Third Reich also fall into this category. The need for regular apologies for the events of the Second World War has always decreased the profile of the army among ordinary Germans’, he reminds.
‘And now Pistorius is trying to shift the accents from the political and moral significance of Wehrmacht’s conscripts’ actions to their professional qualities.
There is nothing new here. The German authorities often try to discuss the innocence of the army involved in Hitler’s atrocities’, emphasizes the speaker. However, the position of the German society on this matter is still unclear and quite contradictory, as this is ‘a very sensitive issue’ for FRG.
‘Many are aware of their relatives’ involvement in the Nazis’ crimes. Maybe, Bundeswehr’s initiative will help them lift this burden. Others, on the contrary, are descendants of those victimised by the heinous system and treat the justification of Wehrmacht soldiers with distrust’, indicates the expert.
‘When it comes to FRG’s European neighbours, I believe other states will ignore this initiative. In the EU, it is customary not to mention Berlin’s militarisation. Many are guided by the idea that a strong and confident Germany is much less of a threat than a weak and vulnerable one’, the expert concluded.