What Did the German People Know - And When Did They Know It?

A still unresolved question that always disturbs me

Since the end of the Second World War, reporters, commentators, writers and historians are locked in a controversy that will probably never be resolved.

How many Germans knew what was happening to the Jews, and other minorities. Most importantly, when did they know it? (1)

Recently, I was involved in an exchange of posts on a talkback forum. While the main argument was initially centred on the issue of the culpability of the "average" German in the treatment of the Jews, the discussion soon focused on the degree of their knowledge.

This caused me to re-visit some of the literature on the subject. It is clear that, for the civilians, the main line of defense was denial. Simply feigned ignorance.

For the military the "I was simply following orders" defence was more prevalent.

A little background

In 1932 the National Socialist Party secured 43% of the popular vote and became the largest political force in the Reichstag. British Prime Ministers get elected with less support!

Unquestionably, Hitler and his party had massive backing from the population. The electorate knew about, and supported the various laws that were enacted; among other things, depriving Jews of their civil rights, businesses and property. They were well aware of Hitler's philosophy and attitude to the Jews. He never tried to hide it and expounded on it at great length in his book, "Mein Kampf".(2)

None of this is really disputed. The differing interpretations start in a later period. Whilst this article refers to Germans, it can be applied equally to Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians and a whole host of other nationalities.

The people of many nations willingly helped the Germans to meet their goal of extermination. And equally denied that involvement after the war.

I am not embarking on an in-depth treatise, comparing one historical narrative with another.

In trying to form a conclusion, I just want to deal with the practical r

The Germans were masters of organisation and kept meticulous records.This involved tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of administrators and other workers.The act of rounding up the millions of Jews required that some organisation had to compile the lists.Work rotas for the police and army units involved were created, published and distributedThen there were the logistics of transportation. The trucks and trains needed drivers and mechanics. The trains stations needed staff, signal operators, level crossing keepers.The transports passed through hundreds of towns and villages en route to the campsThe camps were situated near other towns and villages,and received supplies and maintenance from them.In the vicinity of the Death Camps the air was filled with the stench of burning flesh and white powdery flakes from the chimneys coated everything within a radius of many miles.And these camps had thousands of guards.And these guards had families and friends, as did all the other people listed above.Hundreds of thousands were involved directly, or indirectly. There was also the extended network of relatives, friends and acquaintances of those who worked within and operated the system.

And yet, after the war, it was almost impossible to find a single person who knew anything!

The second line of defence, if the feigned ignorance didn't work, was: "yes we knew that the Jews were being deported but we thought it was only to labour camps". As if the labour camps were like holiday camps!

As I said, this is not intended to be a historical document.

Just a few questions that need answers.

And a world that no longer suspends belief when it considers this question:

What did the German people know - and when did they know it!

(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/feb/17/johnezard

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler's_Willing_Executioners

I am an Israeli by choice who left the UK 25 years ago for a different life. I comment, and write original articles, primarily on Israeli and Middle East issues. My secondary areas of interest are freedom of expression and historical narrative. You can find me at: http://andyboy1.com/

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