Quote:
Originally Posted by Avimimus
I don't really feel like discussing this. But, I'm deferring to the judgment of the community and posting the reply in this new thread.
The war shouldn't have happened. Following orders didn't help.
I recognise that the difference between one person fighting for their life and another isn't that great. Many people on the allied side were fighting for the wrong reasons as well (even though the side was the one that needed to win for humanity's sake).
But it doesn't change the fact that a lot of good people and innocents were killed by German pilots fighting the war. It also doesn't change the fact that they were fighting on behalf of a nation which had a horrible and inhumane regime that was simultaneously conducting horrible crimes.
Does that make sense?
I agree that Triggaaar is right that there were choices btw. Not easy ones though (especially for patriots or people who cared about what other's thought).
One can look at the treatment of draft dodgers or people who went AWOL in the past decade - in America - during wars of lower intensity, less ideology and less risk to the home country.
|
It's a good subject for a thread. I would rather ask the question "Why do you fly for the side you do in IL-2, or why won't you fly for a certain side?". But either way, it's sort of asking the same question though.
I honor all that fought honorably. Most of the young men who fought were doing it for their country at the beginning and then for their comrades (most likely) once they got a taste of combat.
Did the German pilot believe in the same ideology as the SS leaders? No way to tell. But chances are that they were called to do a duty for their country and they simply answered the call. I do not think that they knew what was going on in the concentration camps. they were fighting for the Father Land.
Allied soldiers fought Nazi tyranny. They fought for their country and for their comrades.
So for the common soldier, the common pilot, there was no real difference. That is why I can respect all who fought honorably. These soldiers weren't into the politics, they were doing their duty.
Of course, I can make a differentiation for the soldiers who did not fight honorably. They occurred on all sides (yes, some more than others) and deserve no respect. But those are the individuals, not the services as a whole.
Personally, their is no side I will not fly for in the IL-2 virtual world. I am only playing the part of a common soldier/pilots. I don't fly Japanese aircraft because I don't like the planes, it has nothing to do with shooting down Allies.
But....I could see someone not flying for a certain side because of deep felt convictions.
Splitter