When hearing the phrase “Ordinary Men” many will think of the teachers, factory workers, and store clerks who live a modest lifestyle. The kind of people who wouldn't be suspected to be cold blooded killers. In Christopher R. Browning’s, Ordinary Men, we find out that these kind of people are capable of being just that, cold blooded killers. Browning poses the question, are these men who carried out thousands of killings throughout WWII simply ordinary? With the combination of obedience, conformity, and segmentation and routinization of tasks these ordinary men were turned into killers. In most civilizations starting at the beginning of one’s life, he or she is taught obedience. This is to comply or submit yourself to an authority. When …show more content…
Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany, he demanded obedience from his military. The military personnel and official did not recite an oath to Germany, but instead to Hitler. This obedience radiated throughout the ranks of the military and special groups such as Reserve Police Battalion 101. Early on in the book, Major Wilhelm Trapp a.k.a Papa Trapp, a fifty-three year old career policeman gave the gruesome orders to kill men, women, and children. Browning states, “Pale and nervous, with choking voice and tears in his eyes, Trapp visibly fought to control himself” (p. 2). Later on in the paragraph Browning goes onto saying these orders were provided by the highest of authorities; from this evidence, I do believe Major Trapp is an ordinary man simply following orders. This previous statement can be fortified by the following, “Man,... such jobs don’t suit me. But orders are orders” (58). A man continuing to follow orders throughout an emotional breakdown is very committed to his authorities. I also believe Major Trapp is an ordinary man along with his men because he gave them the option to step out if they were not comfortable with the task at hand. Reportedly, only a handful of men took this opportunity. These orders may have seemed more realistic to the men of Battalion 101 because of the context. The men were told bombs were dropping on their beloved Germany killing women and children; in addition to being told the jews instigated the American Boycott which damaged Germany (2). Two ways to make a man a killer is to have him think if he doesn’t kill, his loved ones will be killed, or blame a tragic event on an individual or culture. This context creates an opportunity for the obedience to the Third Reich and “The Cause” to be strengthened. With obedience, there is conformity; these two terms go hand and hand. In regards to conformity in this situation, those who did not want to take part in the action typically did not speak up or refuse because of fear.
The men did not want to be ostracized or punished for the refusal of orders; thus the fear caused hundreds of men to be quiet and conform to the group's task. Conformity of the German people allowed the discriminatory laws, such as the Nuremberg Laws to be so successful. Since these laws were implemented early on, they were successful in the dehumanizing of the Jewish population. This dehumanization of the Jews allowed for easier emotional anguish. One could argue that conformity can’t be this effective to obey the action of genocide on a group of people; that these people are not ordinary men. I would say, yes it can be that …show more content…
effective. For example, in the Milgram Experiment conducted by Stanley Milgram, the majority of people delivering the shock conformed to their authorities commands; regardless of their beliefs. The minority of people refused, and keep in mind this was only in front of their authority figure. Now, when the majority of a group is all in, the minority will be less than likely to refuse, because of the fear of being weak to their peers. How did these men who were conforming deal with carrying out the genocide of the Jewish people? The higher authorities of the Regime implemented segmentation and routinization of tasks to ease the minds of these ordinary men. The implementation of segmentation and routinization of tasks benefited these men psychologically. This process dealing with the genocide meant the men only performed a small piece of the puzzle. For example, a group of men would round up the Jews in a town and another group would kill them. Also, the famous example of Adolph Eichmann, the man who created the logistics and times for trains to carry out the “Final Solution”. At the beginning of the Battalion’s duties, there was no sign of segmentation.
All of the gathering and killings were done in close contact right away, and continued on for several more cities. However, at the larger mass shootings the policemen did not kill anyone. There were “specialists” who carried out the task of murdering the Jews (162-163). Since segmentation and routinization of tasks were not offered for the entirety of the killings some men became numb to killing, others chose to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, and some simply chose not to kill (188). This information leads me to believe the men of the Reserve Police Battalion 101 were in fact ordinary men. Some of the men lost it psychologically and perhaps found excitement in killing like First Lieutenant Gnade (108). I believe Lt. Gnade is a special case; I do not think he was ordinary to begin with. Or maybe he was, just with more hate towards the Jewish people to begin the genocide. Introducing the segmentation and routinization of tasks eased the men’s minds a little; which helped some of them from
cracking. In the end, I strongly believe these men were ordinary people just following orders. By the end however, some of these same men were no longer ordinary. They were trained killers who sought out joy in the action of “Jew Hunts” and killing up close and personal. With the knowledge I have of veterans today who suffer from psychological damage that may have never killed a human being, I am not taken back at all by the ordinary men breaking psychologically. Seeing what a man can do to another man, or even worse, inflicting the damage onto someone is emotionally and psychologically taxing. With obedience and conformity to Hitler coupled with the lack of segmentation and routinization of tasks at times, portions of the Reserve Police Battalion 101 were transformed into unordinary men. Frankly, after experiencing the events of which they did, at the end no one would be ordinary.
In the pursuit of safety, acceptance, and the public good, many atrocities have been committed in places such as Abu Ghraib and My Lai, where simple, generally harmless people became the wiling torturers and murderers of innocent people. Many claim to have just been following orders, which illustrates a disturbing trend in both the modern military and modern societies as a whole; when forced into an obedient mindset, many normal and everyday people can become tools of destruction and sorrow, uncaringly inflicting pain and death upon the innocent.
Obedience is when you do something you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority. As little kids we are taught to follow the rules of authority, weather it is a positive or negative effect. Stanley Milgram, the author of “The perils of Obedience” writes his experiment about how people follow the direction of an authority figure, and how it could be a threat. On the other hand Diana Baumrind article “Review of Stanley Milgram’s experiments on obedience,” is about how Milgram’s experiment was inhumane and how it is not valid. While both authors address how people obey an authority figure, Milgram focuses more on how his experiment was successful while Baumrind seems more concerned more with how Milgram’s experiment was flawed and
Many of the soldiers that comprised Reserve Police Battalion 101 were of random choosing; they were not picked due to their anti-Semitic sentiments nor for their prowess in previous battles. Browning argues that these ordinary men were not forced to become killers rather they had the option to speak out against these horrific actions and accept the consequences of that or to conform to the orders even if it was a violation of their moral standards. Browning argued that any man had the potential to become a killer if their values were at all compromised, if they were susceptible to peer pressure, if they did not want to seem cowardly in front of their comrades, or if they had a dislike towards Poles, Jews or Soviets which may have been instilled by Nazi propaganda or its ideological training. Through Browning’s research he found out that of the approximately 500 German soldiers that composed Reserve Police Battalion 101, only about ten to twenty percent (50 to 100 soldiers) of men totally abstained from killing altogether, which means at
Murder is a reprobate action that is an inevitable part of war. It forces humans into immoral acts, which can manifest in the forms such as shooting or close combat. The life of a soldier is ultimately decided from the killer, whether or not he follows through with his actions. In the short stories The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty and Just Lather, That's All by Hernando Téllez, the killer must decide the fate of their victims under circumstantial constraints. The two story explore the difference between killing at a close proximity compared to killing at a distance, and how they affect the killer's final decision.
Obedience may be a simple word, yet it has a powerful impact on the daily lives of millions. Obedience is simply when one follows the orders or directions of another figure, presumably in an authoritative position. This is something nearly everyone bows to everyday without even realizing it - and it can drastically change our lives as we know it. Obedience is, for example, how the holocaust happened. The Germans were ordinary people turned into murderers because they followed the orders of one man - their dictator, Adolf Hitler. Of course, obedience does not always result in horrid results such as the holocaust or result in such a large catastrophe. Obedience can have drastic effects on the lives of only a few men as well; this is showcased in the movie A Few Good Men.
The arguments of Christopher Browning and Daniel John Goldhagen contrast greatly based on the underlining meaning of the Holocaust to ordinary Germans. Why did ordinary citizens participate in the process of mass murder? Christopher Browning examines the history of a battalion of the Order Police who participated in mass shootings and deportations. He debunks the idea that these ordinary men were simply coerced to kill but stops short of Goldhagen's simplistic thesis. Browning uncovers the fact that Major Trapp offered at one time to excuse anyone from the task of killing who was "not up to it." Despite this offer, most of the men chose to kill anyway. Browning's traces how these murderers gradually became less "squeamish" about the killing process and delves into explanations of how and why people could behave in such a manner.
Killing Squads managed to find a fast killing tactic. This is a crucial part of the topic because figuring out how Killing Squads kill could show why they were able to kill so many Jews, Gypsies, and Communist leaders. Killing Squad were also called death squads,mobile killing units, and Einsatzgruppen. The killing squads were often made of the German S.S and police personnel (USHMM). This means that the killing squads did have some military experience. Killing Squads act swiftly,usually tanking the Jewish population by surprise (USHMM). This is also why they were called mobile killing units. Killing Squads would enter towns and gather the people, usually in vast open areas. Open areas are easier to dig the mass graves that the dead would be put it. After victims gave their valuables to the killing squad and undressed, they were gassed in vans, shot it trenches, or shot in prepared pits (USHMM).People gassed in vans were killed by the carbon monoxide produced by the van because the exhaust pipes were blocked. These research findings reveal the harsh tactics of killing squads. The squads don't care how the Jews died, as long as it was cheap.
Obedience has always been a trait present in every aspect of society. Parents have practiced enforcing discipline in their homes where children learn obedience from age one. Instructors have found it difficult to teach a lesson unless their students submit to their authority. Even after the adolescent years, law enforcement officers and governmental officials have expected citizens to uphold the law and abide by the standards set in society. Few will understand, however, that although these requirements for obedience provide positive results for development, there are also dangers to enforcing this important trait. Obedience to authority can be either profitable or perilous depending on who the individual in command is. In the film, The Crucible,
Obedience and disobedience play a huge role in our lives as humans. We begin with disobedience. With that, though, we develop the ability to choose to obey or disobey. In doing this, we obey the highest calling that we must: human nature. No matter how we modernize as a society, the primal instincts and decisions that rise up in every human being are very much the same as they have always been.
Ordinary Men is the disconcerting examination of how a typical unit of middle-aged reserve policemen became active participants in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Polish Jews.
Obedience is a widely debated topic today with many different standpoints from various brilliant psychologists. Studying obedience is still important today to attempt to understand why atrocities like the Holocaust or the My Lai Massacre happened so society can learn from them and not repeat history. There are many factors that contribute to obedience including situation and authority. The film A Few Good Men, through a military court case, shows how anyone can fall under the influence of authority and become completely obedient to conform to the roles that they have been assigned. A Few Good Men demonstrates how authority figures can control others and influence them into persuading them to perform a task considered immoral or unethical.
Ordinary Men Christopher Browning describes how the Reserve Police Battalion 101, like the rest of German society, was immersed in a flood of racist and anti-Semitic propaganda. Browning describes how the Order Police provided indoctrination both in basic training and as an ongoing practice within each unit. Many of the members were not prepared for the killing of Jews. The author examines the reasons some of the police officers did not shoot. The physiological effect of isolation, rejection, and ostracism is examined in the context of being assigned to a foreign land with a hostile population.
...ion people based on the orders of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. In reference to the two situations, one participant of the study said that “anybody can be a guard, but not every one becomes sadistic.” This saying can be applied to real life situations, especially that of the New Jersey incident.
...ed 6 million people based on the orders of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. In reference to the two situations, one participant of the study said that “anybody can be a guard, but not every one becomes sadistic.” This saying can be applied to real life situations, especially that of the New Jersey incident.
To obey someone wouldn't that mean to comply with their every command? It's common sense to obey authority at all costs. Most people are raised being taught how to obey the law and respect authority but if it was that easy there wouldn't be place such as prison. Being aware of the situation or attentive to society and what's going on could give you a better perspective for your behavior. Milgram claims, it’s possible that we are controlled by society. But at least we have perception and are aware (pg.598). Contributing factors such as the situation, authority, and behavior are all elements that produce either a good or bad outcome at the end of the day.