For reasons best known to von Braun, who held the rank of colonel in the dreaded Nazi SS, the prisoners were ordered to turn their backs whenever he came into view. Those caught stealing glances at him were hung. One survivor recalled that von Braun, after inspecting a rocket component, charged, “That is clear sabotage.” His unquestioned judgment resulted in eleven men being hanged on the spot. Says Gehrels, “von Braun was directly involved in hangings.”
It seems kinda difficult to easily buy the rosy narrative of von Braun, but also be so skeptical that something seems off about Spakovsky’s missing 9 years. The footnote cites his report as a similar case, not the case cited in the text. So does that make him similar to the accused woman? Possibly similar to the woman’s grandson who had been a collaborator and the reason she was accused? If Ia A Shpakovskii in the case is actually Anatolli Ignatevich Shpakovskii, it would be interesting to know what he was accused of.
Your citation there shows von Braun being a total shitstain, but not necessarily a racist shitstain. He lacked morals and principles, and used slave labour; but it doesn’t seem like he cared much about who the slaves were. So he doesn’t seem to have ended up having any qualms about hiring black people. I suppose it makes him slightly more progressive, but not necessarily any less of a bad person.
Regarding Shpakovskii, it’s unclear what he was accused or convicted of, and it’s unclear if whatever the allegations were were also true. But given the example provided, it seems the worst thing he could be getting accused of there is stealing from partisans/Jewish people, which is bad but not a war crime (assuming his case is indeed ‘similar’ to the example provided in that text).
I’m not sure we can figure out what this guy did exactly with just online sources, I can’t exactly find much more on the man. Given the evidence, he could in theory have been a Chetnik, which would fit his motivations and background. Being a full-blown Nazi seems less likely. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved in any war crimes, but there’s currently nothing that suggests that he was.
I really haven’t delved into this subject, but I have a theory
Maybe the kind of racism that SS Germans hold is different from the racism that is prevalent in the US.
The SS would view any non-Aryan, meaning most Americans, on the same level regardless of skin tone. Blacks from Missouri, Metis, Cajun, Mennonite would all be the same.
So the KKK would have their panties in a twist about the black Americans on staff, crying that Braun hired animals, while Braun would be confused because from his perspective, he only has animals to hire.
This could be a very funny key and Peele sketch, like a no true Scotsman but who’s more racist.
Again I haven’t looked into the Nazi perspective justifying their racism so I might be way off the mark.
https://time.com/archive/6935350/the-rocket-mans-dark-side/
It seems kinda difficult to easily buy the rosy narrative of von Braun, but also be so skeptical that something seems off about Spakovsky’s missing 9 years. The footnote cites his report as a similar case, not the case cited in the text. So does that make him similar to the accused woman? Possibly similar to the woman’s grandson who had been a collaborator and the reason she was accused? If Ia A Shpakovskii in the case is actually Anatolli Ignatevich Shpakovskii, it would be interesting to know what he was accused of.
Your citation there shows von Braun being a total shitstain, but not necessarily a racist shitstain. He lacked morals and principles, and used slave labour; but it doesn’t seem like he cared much about who the slaves were. So he doesn’t seem to have ended up having any qualms about hiring black people. I suppose it makes him slightly more progressive, but not necessarily any less of a bad person.
Regarding Shpakovskii, it’s unclear what he was accused or convicted of, and it’s unclear if whatever the allegations were were also true. But given the example provided, it seems the worst thing he could be getting accused of there is stealing from partisans/Jewish people, which is bad but not a war crime (assuming his case is indeed ‘similar’ to the example provided in that text).
I’m not sure we can figure out what this guy did exactly with just online sources, I can’t exactly find much more on the man. Given the evidence, he could in theory have been a Chetnik, which would fit his motivations and background. Being a full-blown Nazi seems less likely. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved in any war crimes, but there’s currently nothing that suggests that he was.
I really haven’t delved into this subject, but I have a theory
Maybe the kind of racism that SS Germans hold is different from the racism that is prevalent in the US.
The SS would view any non-Aryan, meaning most Americans, on the same level regardless of skin tone. Blacks from Missouri, Metis, Cajun, Mennonite would all be the same.
So the KKK would have their panties in a twist about the black Americans on staff, crying that Braun hired animals, while Braun would be confused because from his perspective, he only has animals to hire.
This could be a very funny key and Peele sketch, like a no true Scotsman but who’s more racist.
Again I haven’t looked into the Nazi perspective justifying their racism so I might be way off the mark.