This isn't intended to be a dig at the archaeology blog (pun intended) but it's just something that reminded me of this shift.
The whole big point of the Holocaust that everyone was supposed to have learned is that not only did one not have to be a "Nazi" (or even particularly sympathize with the regime or its ideology) in order to be an active or passive collaborator.
All you had to do was keep your head down, and do what you were told.
Yes but it would be accruate to describe all US soldiers as defenders of republican democracy, specifically that outlined in the US constitution. Defending the constitution is the heart of the oath. If that constitution was altered, as is can legally be, then all active US soldiers would become supporters of whatever form of government is described therein. Not being a member of a paticular party does not free a soldier from being described as a supporter of the government they serve.
This is not just theoretical. Many US soldiers refused to recognize Obama as legitimate. Those soldiers were shown the door. A similar transition will occur in a few weeks.
It's like saying that CCP soldiers can't be called CCP because they might not necessarily hold communist ideologies themselves.
All of the witnesses to the war are dead, so we’re now doing the equivalent of “Dur dur, my great grand cousin from Mississippi was standing up for their heritage” (as opposed to having been drafted to defend an aristocrat’s ability to own humans) treatment.
Now we’ll start hearing about central and Northern Europeans who were defending themselves from godless communists and woke French aggressors. The “just following orders” excuse is not necessary, as those folks are questioning whether anything happened that required that defense.
I think he is referencing the american civil war.
But the northern europe vs godless commies vs french, is that supposed to be WW2?
Also OP see if you like getting red army invaded if the commies are sooo good. So many leftie internet brains love commies unironically sitting in their american suburb.
The subsequent occupation by the Russian Red Army music less so…
that's not correct. Romania was an independent country, with a king, governenment, etc. Romania was allied to Germany, and there was a German presence, but the Germans did not exercise any power. In fact, there was a "palace coup" that switch alliances in 1944.
About the coup: it took place on Aug 23, 1944. The Red Army already took all of Moldovan and was gunning for the Carpathian Mountains. The German front broke yet again. That was the end of German influence in Romania: at the end of September 1944 Arab was ‘eliberated’ by the Red Army.
Romania was, at least theoretically, an ally of Germany, so (non-Jewish) Romanians got treated better than conquered nations like Poles, who were Slavic and thus lower on the racial totem pole.
Romania was an Axis ally under a fascist dictator, Antonescu, and was not under German occupation. Why would Germans steal or loot from a willing ally? Romanian troops participated with around 280,000 to 380,000 Jewish deaths to the Holocaust. I suppose Jews in Romania don't remember their German "allies" too fondly.
> The subsequent occupation by the Russian Red Army music less so…
The Soviet (not Russian) Red Army was indeed brutal with former Axis allies. It shouldn't come as a surprise that siding with Nazi Germany was retroactively a terrible choice.
Instead they had to suck it up and march East into Russia proper.
Romanian troops took part, willingly, of Nazi death squad actions.
Furthermore, Jews in Romania didn't remember the Germans "fondly".
Simply put: there's a huge difference between being outright conquered, occupied, and subject to the control of a puppet regime (like Poland, Ukraine, Greece), and the local regime proactively deciding to form an alliance (as did the governments of Hungary, Finland, and Romania). Even if that decision was made under a considerable degree of duress.
That's just the basic storyline of the war. And it's all I have time for. But trust me, just take another look at the basic event chronology and you'll easily see why.
You wrote your initial comment stating a patent falsehood: that Romania was "basically under German occupation". It was under nothing of the sort. Their fascist dictatorship eagerly helped the Germans and it's officially considered part of the Axis (just not one of the major three powers).
> (like for example what you wrote about the Einsatzngruppen troops)
Romanian troops participated in the Odessa massacre and, as one of the Axis nations other than Germany most involved on the Eastern Front, participated in Einsatzkommando actions.
And the point still stands: Romanian Jews certainly don't remember the Germans "fondly".
Presumably not true for Jews. However pogroms were occurring pre-occupation, so maybe it’s much of a muchness once you’re being eradicated.
I already mentioned in another comment that Romania wasn't "under German occupation", but this bit I'm quoting here is also false.
Germany theoretically paid Romania but in practice it defaulted in most/all payments, so that Romanians got nothing for their oil. It was a major problem that eroded public support for the Axis and made poverty worse in Romania. Again, not something that helped Romanians regard the Germans "fondly".
“soldier collected ancient coins as a hobby or perhaps exchanged or acquired them during his military movements” is an interesting way to describe stolen war goods.