Comments on: Explaining Atrocities, Preventing Atrocities http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378 Toward a Broader Vision of Military History and National Security Affairs Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:34:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Roman Werpachowski http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378&cpage=1#comment-1643 Roman Werpachowski Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:39:51 +0000 http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378#comment-1643 <i>More to the point, Russian rapes in Eastern Germany occurred with the full knowledge and acquiescence of the Soviet command, from Stalin on down, and was generally regarded as a form of just retribution for what the Germans had done in Russia.</i> Is there any proof for that? More to the point, Russian rapes in Eastern Germany occurred with the full knowledge and acquiescence of the Soviet command, from Stalin on down, and was generally regarded as a form of just retribution for what the Germans had done in Russia.

Is there any proof for that?

]]> By: James http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378&cpage=1#comment-1640 James Fri, 18 Aug 2006 04:46:07 +0000 http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378#comment-1640 More to the point, Russian rapes in Eastern Germany occurred with the full knowledge and acquiescence of the Soviet command, from Stalin on down, and was generally regarded as a form of just retribution for what the Germans had done in Russia. One cannot argue that American commanders in Iraq regard rape as something to be "winked at" or as something Iraqis deserve. More to the point, Russian rapes in Eastern Germany occurred with the full knowledge and acquiescence of the Soviet command, from Stalin on down, and was generally regarded as a form of just retribution for what the Germans had done in Russia. One cannot argue that American commanders in Iraq regard rape as something to be “winked at” or as something Iraqis deserve.

]]> By: Roman Werpachowski http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378&cpage=1#comment-1638 Roman Werpachowski Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:33:14 +0000 http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378#comment-1638 "In any event, comparing this to the Soviet Army in Berlin in 1945, as the article does, is way over the top." Sure. The Russians had plenty of reasons to be so brutal in Germany. Americans don't. “In any event, comparing this to the Soviet Army in Berlin in 1945, as the article does, is way over the top.”

Sure. The Russians had plenty of reasons to be so brutal in Germany. Americans don’t.

]]> By: James http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378&cpage=1#comment-1636 James Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:50:25 +0000 http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378#comment-1636 Mark, Let's assume the story is true. What I don't understand is this: where were their superior officers? Are troops in Iraq really so poorly supervised? Can you really be out on patrol or whatever and take "time out" for gang rape without being asked to check in or whatever? In any event, comparing this to the Soviet Army in Berlin in 1945, as the article does, is way over the top. Mark,

Let’s assume the story is true. What I don’t understand is this: where were their superior officers? Are troops in Iraq really so poorly supervised? Can you really be out on patrol or whatever and take “time out” for gang rape without being asked to check in or whatever?

In any event, comparing this to the Soviet Army in Berlin in 1945, as the article does, is way over the top.

]]> By: MikeP http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378&cpage=1#comment-1625 MikeP Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:19:05 +0000 http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=378#comment-1625 This whole thing wrenches my stomach. As a former infantryman (albeit a Reservist who never served overseas), I can only too well imagine myself in the place of one of the other soldiers in that unit. Nothing you can do in that situation would be right, although there's only one obvious Right, and righteous, thing that you could do. I'm fairly sure I'd have had the moral strength to do the Right thing, but would I have had a chance? I linked to your post in a post on my own site (I can include the permalink in another comment if you'd like), but I'd like to say thank you for the thought-provoking piece, although I can't say I'm terribly happy about some of the thoughts it provoked in me. This whole thing wrenches my stomach. As a former infantryman (albeit a Reservist who never served overseas), I can only too well imagine myself in the place of one of the other soldiers in that unit. Nothing you can do in that situation would be right, although there’s only one obvious Right, and righteous, thing that you could do. I’m fairly sure I’d have had the moral strength to do the Right thing, but would I have had a chance?

I linked to your post in a post on my own site (I can include the permalink in another comment if you’d like), but I’d like to say thank you for the thought-provoking piece, although I can’t say I’m terribly happy about some of the thoughts it provoked in me.

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