Abstract
In September 1942, members of a Panzer signal company murdered thirty
to forty Jews near the tiny Soviet town of Peregruznoe. A case study of
the unit reveals that individual soldiers faced a twisted terrain of choices,
pressures, and organizational cultural norms. The author argues that the
“perpetrators” among these Wehrmacht soldiers can be placed along a
continuum of response: the commander led the activist core, followers
went along, and individual soldiers evaded participation. Investigation of
the complexities of participation and non-participation in spontaneous
acts of violence such as this helps us to understand why some men (and
units) killed while others did not.
to forty Jews near the tiny Soviet town of Peregruznoe. A case study of
the unit reveals that individual soldiers faced a twisted terrain of choices,
pressures, and organizational cultural norms. The author argues that the
“perpetrators” among these Wehrmacht soldiers can be placed along a
continuum of response: the commander led the activist core, followers
went along, and individual soldiers evaded participation. Investigation of
the complexities of participation and non-participation in spontaneous
acts of violence such as this helps us to understand why some men (and
units) killed while others did not.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 185-213 |
Journal | Holocaust and Genocide Studies |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Holocaust
- Genocide
- World War II
- Soviet Union