The pope has admitted, on multiple occasions, that he volunteered in an anti-aircraft unit. Joining was mandatory by law - serving in the military was not, and many people ignored the law. Ratzinger did not. Oh, and he also supported holocaust-denying cardinals and his policies towards Africa can be *generously* described as "genocidal". So no: He volunteered to be a Nazi, he fought for the Nazis during the war, and he's continued to support Nazi causes his entire life. I don't give him a pass on being a Nazi.
Not true, according to a friend who was a child in pre-war Germany. She says that her mother politely told the local Hitler Youth recruiter to go stuff himself when he came to their door. Though maybe it was only 'voluntary' in the sense of "I've got bigger, nastier and better-connected relatives in this town than you". Her family didn't like the Nazis anyway, and fled Germany in 1939.
Y'know, I did talk to my grandparents about this: it was mandatory from about '39 onwards (depending on exactly where in the Reich you were living). You could just not attend, which carried "only" financial penalties at first, later on rather probably your place in school and even more later a visit from the local Gestapo. (Though, of course, if your parents/relatives were Special Snowflakes with the local NSDAP, all of that could be waived.)
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(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 03:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 03:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 04:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 05:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 08:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 09:40 pm (UTC)He didn't volunteer to be a part, but it is unlikely that it had no effect.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 09:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 11:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-12 10:30 am (UTC)Her family didn't like the Nazis anyway, and fled Germany in 1939.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-12 01:09 pm (UTC)(Though, of course, if your parents/relatives were Special Snowflakes with the local NSDAP, all of that could be waived.)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-12 04:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 09:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-12 03:22 am (UTC)