Monday, March 19, 2007

WWII

Over the span of WWII the Nazis converted the word collaboration into a tool of war. While rampaging through countries, they would pound them into submission until the people decided to cooperate. Many countries including Denmark and Greece joined the German forces in hopes of avoiding damage.

In many cases, the invaded countries had little to no choice to collaborate. The belief that the Nazis would win the war drove many of the countries to join in on the battle for the sake of being on the winning side. While other places like Denmark were simply attempting to avoid conflict that may have destroyed their fragile economy and plummeted the country to its end. On the other side of Europe the disgust of the soviet system was enough to drive countries such as Russia and Ukraine to join the Nazis in hopes of change.

Although a great list of countries joined in not all the people were considered fit to cooperate. The Nazis looked down on Slavs and Jews. Therefore Lithuanians, which were believed to have intermixed with Slavs, were not accepted.

With only 40% of the Waffen SS force being German, collaboration played an extreme role in Second World War and perhaps without it the war may have not lasted as long as it did.


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