Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

theatlantic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 153 posts

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#41

Post by batushka2 »

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #9
spunker540 wrote: post #6

It’s amazing how quickly our Russian allies turned into our Cold War enemies at the end of WWII. I’ve heard a lot of blame on both sides, the US stockpiling arms, McCarthyism fanning the flames. But the end of this story drives home just how brutal Russia was. A wwii hero who not only deliberately went to Auschwitz for three years, organized prisoners, compiled intelligence reports, then escaped and fought bravely fo…

This is a bone of contention and a heavily discussed subject, because the world is not a black-and-white place. The Red Army was indeed a savior. It is thanks to those masses of poor soldiers, of which eight millions died, that the horror of WWII last only five years or so. All Europe and all world indeed should be grateful to them. On the other hand, there was the Stalinist regime, ruthless rule, killing one's own p…

Red Army was no savior - it STARTED WW2 together with Nazies by atacking Poland! Before, 'saviours' attacked Finland. Red army is worst or at least equal to Nazies.

World should be grateful to US and Lend-Lease Act, without it Red Army would have ceased to exist.

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#42

Post by pawelk »

spunker540 wrote: post #6

It’s amazing how quickly our Russian allies turned into our Cold War enemies at the end of WWII. I’ve heard a lot of blame on both sides, the US stockpiling arms, McCarthyism fanning the flames. But the end of this story drives home just how brutal Russia was. A wwii hero who not only deliberately went to Auschwitz for three years, organized prisoners, compiled intelligence reports, then escaped and fought bravely fo…

And if it wasn't tragic enough, there's this twist of history:

> Testimony against Pilecki was presented by a future Polish prime minister, Józef Cyrankiewicz, himself an Auschwitz survivor.

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#43

Post by code_duck »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #28
yeukhon wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is so sad that rape is a common war crime in every war since very ancient time. Rape during WW2 was probably one of the biggest crimes after mass genocide. I am familiar with the Japanese’s rape crime but this is the first time I am hearing about this. Allies are no exception. The psychology behind committing such crime is beyond the “sexual urge” excuse.

I'm not sure what the correct psychology is. Add together 'shell shock', depression, a continuous fear of impeding death, repeated exposure to unimaginable horrors, separation from home and family for years at a time, and despair at ever reuniting with your loved ones. I wonder at those able to endure all that, and end up anything like normal.

You also have to assume that a certain percentage of the soldiers would be or already have been rapists in civilian life, and now they perceive great opportunity in that regard.

Edit - is this controversial? It’s simply a fact that some men do that, throughout history, in almost all cultures, hence the entire topic... Sometimes units of soldiers are even formed from criminals.

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#44

Post by simonh »

def_true_false wrote: post #22
dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a bone of contention and a heavily discussed subject, because the world is not a black-and-white place. The Red Army was indeed a savior. It is thanks to those masses of poor soldiers, of which eight millions died, that the horror of WWII last only five years or so. All Europe and all world indeed should be grateful to them. On the other hand, there was the Stalinist regime, ruthless rule, killing one's own p…

> The Red Army was indeed a savior. Many who ended up in the soviet sphere of influence would beg to differ.

Oh come on, that post was very clearly made knowingly within that context.

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#45

Post by olavk »

_m4r wrote: post #35
dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a bone of contention and a heavily discussed subject, because the world is not a black-and-white place. The Red Army was indeed a savior. It is thanks to those masses of poor soldiers, of which eight millions died, that the horror of WWII last only five years or so. All Europe and all world indeed should be grateful to them. On the other hand, there was the Stalinist regime, ruthless rule, killing one's own p…

> The Red Army was indeed a savior. It is thanks to those masses of poor soldiers Regarding that point, when Soviets were "freeing" Poland after Hitler's fall, it was really common for them to raid houses of polish civilians. They didn't only steal and kill, but also rape women, children, infants alike (even impale them on sticks). I'm living on territories close to the one of extermination camps and soviets really b…

> soviets really brought us more harm than nazis durning WW2

I presume you are not counting the three million Polish Jews who were murdered by the nazis?

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#46

Post by yeukhon »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #28
yeukhon wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is so sad that rape is a common war crime in every war since very ancient time. Rape during WW2 was probably one of the biggest crimes after mass genocide. I am familiar with the Japanese’s rape crime but this is the first time I am hearing about this. Allies are no exception. The psychology behind committing such crime is beyond the “sexual urge” excuse.

I'm not sure what the correct psychology is. Add together 'shell shock', depression, a continuous fear of impeding death, repeated exposure to unimaginable horrors, separation from home and family for years at a time, and despair at ever reuniting with your loved ones. I wonder at those able to endure all that, and end up anything like normal.

True. Those can add up. I just thought of something controversial Homosexual soldiers do exist, and I do acknowledge there are same-sex rapes of both genders. Perhaps some of them used this rape opportunity to mask their homosexuality and even as a way to get their sexual urge out of the way (beside masturbation).

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#47

Post by jacquesm »

olavk wrote: post #45
_m4r wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The Red Army was indeed a savior. It is thanks to those masses of poor soldiers Regarding that point, when Soviets were "freeing" Poland after Hitler's fall, it was really common for them to raid houses of polish civilians. They didn't only steal and kill, but also rape women, children, infants alike (even impale them on sticks). I'm living on territories close to the one of extermination camps and soviets really b…

> soviets really brought us more harm than nazis durning WW2 I presume you are not counting the three million Polish Jews who were murdered by the nazis?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/27...

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#48

Post by ransom1538 »

zipwitch wrote: post #38
ransom1538 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When Americans arrived in Berlin they were quite horrified. Over 100,000 women in Berlin were systemically raped by Russian soliders [i]. As an American/Englishmen witnessing this and ordered not to intervene created hate and disdain for the Russian forces. The American forces had no concept of what the Russian forces endured -- still not an excuse for rape. Eventually generals on the western side began forming plans…

Pure anecdote and likely shaded by the Cold War, but I remember my WWII veteran grandfather (European theater) telling me how after the war he had talked to fellow US and British officers responsible for turning POWs over to the Soviets. (I don't recall if he said whether they were the soliders of Axis powers being turned over to the Russians under some agreement, or soldiers from Russia or from Soviet occupied count…

If you were a German with an armpit tattoo [i] and were taken by the Russians death was certain. The allies would routinely hand over these men to the Russians to avoid an entire war crime trial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_blood_group_tattoo

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#49

Post by refurb »

spunker540 wrote: post #6

It’s amazing how quickly our Russian allies turned into our Cold War enemies at the end of WWII. I’ve heard a lot of blame on both sides, the US stockpiling arms, McCarthyism fanning the flames. But the end of this story drives home just how brutal Russia was. A wwii hero who not only deliberately went to Auschwitz for three years, organized prisoners, compiled intelligence reports, then escaped and fought bravely fo…

Don't forget what Russia did with regards to Poland at the start of the war. They entered into an agreement with Nazi Germany to carve up the country.

Russia had a pretty good track history of making territorial conquests. By the time the allies met in Berlin in was apparent Russia wasn't interested in giving back what they gained.

Re: A Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz (2012)

#50

Post by rbanffy »

def_true_false wrote: post #22
dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a bone of contention and a heavily discussed subject, because the world is not a black-and-white place. The Red Army was indeed a savior. It is thanks to those masses of poor soldiers, of which eight millions died, that the horror of WWII last only five years or so. All Europe and all world indeed should be grateful to them. On the other hand, there was the Stalinist regime, ruthless rule, killing one's own p…

> The Red Army was indeed a savior. Many who ended up in the soviet sphere of influence would beg to differ.

It's not like there were better alternatives at the time.
Post reply on HN