> My Opinion: History is always more complex than some people think. The Good Guys are not 100% good. The Bad Guys are not 100% bad. <
A friend of my father’s served in the US Army in Italy during WW II. It was early in 1945. The Germans were retreating, and his division was rapidly advancing. And they took no prisoners. Every surrendering German was shot.
This guy said it had to be done. Escorting so many prisoners to the rear would severely weaken his unit. Then they couldn’t support Allied units on either side of them. Allied soldiers would die because of that.
Was shooting those German soldiers a cruel necessity? A war crime? Both?
This example is showing how things are more complex than people think.
“Was shooting those German soldiers a cruel necessity? A war crime? Both?”
It’s called”victor’s justice” and the Nuremberg trials were a mockery of true justice.
Might as well shoot every Nazi that fell into their hands like the Soviet’s did.
Just don’t call it justice. Call it what it is. Retribution.