| The
Germans
German
soldiers fought to protect an emerging national identity. They believed
the Nazi government had saved Germany from economic and political
ruin caused by the treaty that ended World War I. The Nazis provided
jobs, extended social benefits, and expanded educational programs
for average Germans. Many Germans felt the Nazis created a more
egalitarian society. Most accepted or overlooked their government's
racist and anti-Semitic ideology.
Germans
fought the British and Americans in Western Europe, Italy, and North
Africa. They battled the Russians in Eastern Europe. German soldiers
took advantage of a lack of Allied preparedness and occupied most
of the continent by 1942. These men believed they possessed superior
fighting ability and would easily beat Allied soldiers.
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 Back
A German soldier tosses a grenade during an invasion of
the Soviet Union, circa 1943
Courtesy of the National Archives # 242-GAP-286B-4
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