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Originally Posted by richcarrick  thanks for the info on the SS Mascot - I will definitely check out that book. Speaking of books, I often read the Sven Hassel war stories, and I do recall mention of HJ training - a Leutnant has been imprisoned for cowardice - his son is to be taken and educated by the state. To break his will, the Leutnant is informed of his son's progress and at one point is told (if I remember correctly) that he is 'doing well in hand to hand fighting with Jews - just wait until we give him a real person to kill!'
Remembering that the idea was to 'work towards' Hitler's ideals, I don't think it's beyond the realms of probability that HJ leaders used their own initiative when training HJ members - so witnessing executions would be one way of 'hardening' them to their task. |
Just a couple of points.
Please remember that the works of Sven Hassel are works of fiction, not a historic record of the period.
Allowing what are kids to see executions as a method of 'hardening them up' would be as counter productive as it would anything else. It may work for some, but they are more likely to be the ones pre-disposed to accepting those horrors anyway. Many others would be sickened by the spectacle and likely to fall apart before action having seen and been sickened by the sight and smell of people being slaughtered before. They would be acutely aware of the fragility of the human body on contact with a rifle round..... and before your first action it is your belief that you are going to survive that gives you the mettle to actually go through with it.
Before their first experience of combat everyone is scared by the uncertainty of how they will react to the sights, sounds and smells but once it starts there is little time to worry about it. Afterwards you are still haunted by them, but at least have the small comfort that it was a case of survival.... them or you. That is not something you can use as a 'shield' when you have witnessed them lined up and needlessly shot..... even if you do believe in the politics.
I think this method of 'hardening' would have created as many terrified liabilities as it would keen killers.
