I haven’t posted anything in German for quite a while, so here’s a good reason to do so: the ARTE documentary “Polen 39. Wie deutsche Soldaten zu Mördern wurden” (Poland ’39: How German Soldiers Became Murderers).

The film looks at the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and at how, from the very first days of the Second World War, the Wehrmacht and the SS committed crimes against the civilian population. Its central question is a simple but important one: how could “ordinary men” become perpetrators of mass violence in such a short period of time - and why did some nevertheless refuse to take part?

The story is told in part through the diaries and letters of three German participants in the campaign, alongside archival footage, maps, and commentary by German and Polish historians, sociologists, and psychologists.

You can switch from the German to the French version as well. ARTE also offers subtitles in several languages (incl. English).
#de #fr #history #documentary