Clean Wehrmacht
The “Clean Wehrmacht” is the myth that during WW2, the regular German army (Wehrmacht) was an apolitical, honorable army that did not participate in crimes against humanity. People who believe this think that only the Waffen SS carried out Nazi atrocities.
This is a total fantasy. It was a myth designed after the war to shift blame and downplay the German military’s crimes against humanity. The Wehrmacht took part in the Holocaust, routinely shot POWs, and committed countless massacres of civilians. All of which was documented in Wehrmacht reports drawn up by Wehrmacht officers who gave Wehrmacht soldiers explicit instructions to do so. It’s true that SS soldiers were even more fanatical, and not all German soldiers committed war crimes. Bur never, ever let anyone tell you that the Wehrmacht isn’t culpable for the crimes of Nazi Germany.
This is a total fantasy. It was a myth designed after the war to shift blame and downplay the German military’s crimes against humanity. The Wehrmacht took part in the Holocaust, routinely shot POWs, and committed countless massacres of civilians. All of which was documented in Wehrmacht reports drawn up by Wehrmacht officers who gave Wehrmacht soldiers explicit instructions to do so. It’s true that SS soldiers were even more fanatical, and not all German soldiers committed war crimes. Bur never, ever let anyone tell you that the Wehrmacht isn’t culpable for the crimes of Nazi Germany.
Wehraboo: “The regular German army didn’t actually do anything bad. They were just fighting for their homeland.”
Person with a brain: “No, that’s the Clean Wehrmacht” myth. The regular German army fought a war of racial extermination, and did things more barbaric than you can even imagine.”
Person with a brain: “No, that’s the Clean Wehrmacht” myth. The regular German army fought a war of racial extermination, and did things more barbaric than you can even imagine.”