Germany honors resisters who tried to assassinate Hitler

a majority of Germans believe the resistance to the Nazis is "important for our political culture,"

For those valuing democratic principles, resisting fascism or any other form of authoritarianism is vital.

Today ultra-nationalists and far-right movements are pushing for returns to systems defeated 75 years ago.

Nice move by Germany. Two individuals who are well deserving of this honor.

This is DANGEROUS. It legitimately scares the crap out of me.

The evils of Hitler and the Nazi regime cannot be denied nor compromised. However, honoring attempted assassins will only embolden the crazy political extremists that exist in every country, who all feel that their political opponent is a Hitler-esque threat to the peaceful world at large. Those people exist everywhere, in all parties, regardless of nation or political ideology. Those people do NOT need to be encouraged that assassination attempts lead to ceremonies marking them as heroes by the leader of their country. Bad idea. Bad, bad, bad.

The fact is Stauffenberg was a virilent nazi. he turned against Hitler because he saw that the war wasnt going well and disagreed with Hitler's handling of it.

Stauffenberg was not out to topple the nazis and replace them with democracy.

Facts.

@klausdorth: such a pity Germany never learned by history, and it is repeating the same mistakes that brought to rising nationalism in Europe after WWI. It's like basically Merkel never studied history. She forced austerity on the South Europe for years, destroying many people's life, despite the fact Nazism in Germany was born exactly because of the terrible economic crisis that Germany suffered as a consequence of the unfair Versailles Treaty. After WWII, the Allies decided to erase most of Germany wars debts exactly for not repeating the same strategical mistakes. Instead, today Germany's austerity created debts crisis in South Europe. Germany economic obsession for "rules" (only convenient to her economy) ruined life of millions of Greek people. And this is the second time that happens in few years (the Nazis had destroyed Greece during WWII already). The EU was born also thanks to the fact that most of European Countries forgave Germany and erased her debts (see the London treaty in 1953). Germany forgot history.

"The London Agreement on German External Debts" made in 1953 is what probably German politicians should study again, because they forgot it, apparently, despite it was the main reason for German economic miracle. Germany politicians rethoric about how they are "sorry" for WWII are only empty words to keep Germany image clean on the International scene.

And, of course, some people will always be in denial, despite what I said are facts, and many experts about history and geopolitics agree with it. If most of Europe was able to forgive Germany and erase her debts to create peace, I don't see why today also Germany couldn't be more human towards other Countries. But some people will prefer blame everything on the "PIGS" (tell me if this can be a right way to call some Countries, and you are surprised if they answer with nationalism?), implying they are simply inferior and they weren't able to fit "Germany high standards". Ask yourself why the EU is such a failure now, before to blame everything only on some Countries, implying they are simply the worst by their DNA. These Countries were PERFECTLY FINE before the damn Euro thing.

@Klausdorth, @Lamilly,

You have bought the myth.

@oyatoi: The Greeks weren't "partying" for years, that is the nice excuse that is loved by people in denial about Germany's guilt. Look, in Europe people cares way more about what Germany is doing in the present, than about her past. And many experts agree about the fact that German driven austerity ruined Europe. Ask yourself why the EU is so broken. I want to remind you that is driven by the German-French Axis. Also the UK is trying to escape from this mess. Maybe (MAYBE), this "precious Axis" isn't so perfect like some people like to think. In Europe we don't live in the past, we live in the present. And, for example, we care way more about like this German-French Axis is flooding the South European Countries of migrants, against their own people will, by exploiting the absurd Dublin treaty that Germany and France don't want to change, than what the Germans did almost a century ago. But they never learn, this is a fact.

By the Dublin Treaty, I mean the Dublin regulation, of course. Anyway, I find the glorification of Germany in English press really funny and embarassing.

Yeah, he was a nazi alright. A very high ranked one as well. Otherwise, how the heck would be have the chance to stand so close to Hitler and plant the bomb? The thing is, one can be a nazi and a good person in the same time.

@Alex80

First, Europe is not broken.

Secondly, Europe pacified very quickly after WWII mostly thanks to goodwill from France and Germany.

Third: Europe has integrated about 15 countries from the collapsed and poor former USSR block countries in record time in the past 30 years

Fourth: Even with right wings and populist governments - mostly from the latest integrated countries - there is nothing similar to the Japan-Korea usability to settle the situation for good.

Fifth: Europe has never been so stable in its history.

Of course the job is not completed. But many countries and leaders put their ego aside to move to the better.

I do hope the generals in the Pentagon study history and be reminded that "I was only following orders" is not a valid defense. Especially when they surely know the orders are coming from a dangerously unbalanced leader. It would not surprise me if Trump started a war with Iran in order to convince US voters next year to rally around the flag and reelect him The heads of the U.S. military need to stand up to him, or we will be looking at more parallels with 1940s Germany and the U.S. sooner than we like.

@Open Minded:

First, Europe is not broken.

It is. Not all the Countries at the same level, since some Countries were partying exploiting the others:

REVEALED: How much money 'German banks REALLY earned from Greek debt crisis'

GERMAN banks have made billions in interest payments on Greek bonds since 2010 after the country's debt crisis led its economy to collapse and threatened the future of the wider eurozone, it can be revealed.

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1100003/eu-news-germany-eurozone-euro-imf-greece-financial-crisis-debt-spt

But some people are in denial despite the evidence, for some weird reasons.

Secondly, Europe pacified very quickly after WWII mostly thanks to goodwill from France and Germany.

History tells a more complex situation, and here is where Germany should learn, but it doesn't:

The debt write-off behind Germany's 'economic miracle'

Source: https://www.france24.com/en/20150129-london-agreement-1953-debt-write-germany-economic-miracle-greece-austerity

Fourth: Even with right wings and populist governments - mostly from the latest integrated countries - there is nothing similar to the Japan-Korea usability to settle the situation for good.

Are you sure?

Polish MP calls for new push for WW2 reparations from Germany

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-germany-reparations/polish-mp-calls-for-new-push-for-ww2-reparations-from-germany-idUSKCN1RU1V6

Germany can’t ‘escape historic responsibilities’ - Bombshell report on WW2 reparations

GERMANY can no longer “escape the historical responsibility” of the damages it provoked during World War 2, left-wing politicians claimed after a parliamentary committee suggested a debate over Greece’s reparations demands.

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1151621/germany-news-angela-merkel-greece-latest-world-war-2-reparations

And the more Germany acts like the superior leader in Europe, the more the other Countries will start to ask for justice that they think they never got properly.

Fifth: Europe has never been so stable in its history.

And Germany/France are ruining this scenario.

After WWII, Japan flooded its poor neighbour Countries with money and investments. Germany only took advantage of her neighbour Countries, that were already rich, by exporting her goods, without never developing a proper domestic market. This export grew hugely thanks to the Euro; at the same time, it forced her economic rules of "austerity" on everyone, ruining those Countries' economies that had been her main clients, but at that point it didn't care about them anymore, since it had developed a preferential economic relationship with China already.

@Open Minded: I forgot to quote your sentences, but I think you should understand my answer anyway.

@Alex80

You can always find quotes or articles sustaining your opinion by tweaking them out of context if necessary.

I do not enter this endless game.

I have been resident for at least 3 years in France, in Germany, in Japan and many 4 countries and even though not perfect, Europe is on its path to secure peace and collaboration.

And Brexit is just a temporary hiccup.

@Open Minded:

You can always find quotes or articles sustaining your opinion by tweaking them out of context if necessary.

But it's not what I did. I linked you the whole articles, you can read them completely.

You (and all the ones who disagree with me for no real reason) should read completely at least this one:

https://www.france24.com/en/20150129-london-agreement-1953-debt-write-germany-economic-miracle-greece-austerity

You can understand why germany didn't learn from history, and nationalism is growing everywhere in Europe again.

But if people want to continue to be in denial, it's only their choice. I gave all the sources, and I could give more than these ones.

Plus, I don't know what people want trying to deny. The London Agreement on German External Debts made in 1953, and how Germany didn't learn from it? Well, if some people are in bad faith and want to rewrite history, by saying that Germany was forgiven because "it apologized properly" (cheap rhetoric at elementary school level, that has nothing to do with serious geopolitics analysis), rather than speaking about the true historical facts that brought to some situations, there's nothing I can do about it. But truth is truth, and if now some Countries (Greece, Poland, Italy, etc...) are developing anti-German feelings and in some cases recalling German atrocities during WWII and how actually Germany never paid properly for them, it's a consequence of Germany actions today, despite how fortunate it was after WWII with the debts erasing thing.

I repeat, if in the present Germany hadn't hurt her neighbours, nobody would complain about WWII anymore.

 It would not surprise me if Trump started a war with Iran in order to convince US voters next year to rally around the flag and reelect him The heads of the U.S. military need to stand up to him, or we will be looking at more parallels with 1940s Germany and the U.S. sooner than we like.

Trump is another demagogic Hitler. Look at the sick deplorable conditions in the concentration camps where the migrant children are being held and dying. And he blames certain categories of people for today's problems, just like fascists do. Read your history books.

I dont hate Germany, sorry for telling a more complete version of the facts, that isn't convenient to the dominant narrative in this site about how perfect Germany is in dealing with her past and present!

klausdorthJuly 22 08:26 am JSTWell, looking at everything you posted here, you surely got some (personal?) problems with Germany or the population. Germany is definitely dealing much better and more appropriate with its past than most any other country! No, Germany is not perfect, I agree, but at least "we" don't deny what happened in the past. Concerning reparations and other money issues, everything has been paid to the countries concerned and everything has been sealed and finished with according agreements and contracts.

In the Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio, USA there are dress uniforms, weapons, battalion flags, etc. of 4 WW2 Axis Powers - Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, fascist Japan and Falangist Spain. These 4 nations are no longer fascist and reparations have been made. Serbia is making reparations for the crimes committed under the Milosevic regime. You shouldn't hate the people of those nations or have national chauvinistic bigotry against them - that's stupid and arrogant. Hate the regimes, not the nations or the people.