What happened to average German soldiers after ww2?

After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, millions of German soldiers remained prisoners of war. In France, their internment lasted a particularly long time. But, for some former soldiers, it was a path to rehabilitation.

Did any German soldiers survive the whole war?

Yes, there were, but not many. Records suggest — key word — that about 148,000 German combat soldiers survived almost six years of combat operations. This means that they were engaged in combat or in theater for that time, except for R&R and hospitalizations.

Why was Germany defeated in ww2?

Due to warring ideologies, tussles between the Soviet Union and its allies, and the legacy of the First World War, Germany actually surrendered twice. As an Allied victory looked more and more certain in 1944 and 1945, the United States, U.S.S.R.

Why did Germany fight in ww2?

Hitler’s invasion of Poland in September 1939 drove Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany, marking the beginning of World War II. Over the next six years, the conflict would take more lives and destroy more land and property around the globe than any previous war.

Why was the German army so good?

Even at a squad level, the German Army wielded well armed soldaten using superior tactics and weaponry. Everyone knows that the Germans had superiority in their tank tactics and their air-force quickly achieved air superiority when the engagements with enemy forces commenced.

What happened to German soldiers at the end of WW1?

Between 300,000 and 400,000 German soldiers were dying every month as the end of the war approached. But there was no widespread mutiny, as there had been in 1918. Most soldiers by now, like the civilian population, longed for the end of the war. Signs of disintegration were unmistakable.

What was it like being a German soldier in WW2?

The German soldier in WWII was no exception to this principle. When you are on the frontline, things can only go in two directions, forward or backward. One day you are victorious and the next one, you get your ass kicked. At the end of World War II, most German soldiers had experienced unimaginable victories, but also bitter defeats.

What was the average age of a German soldier by 1945?

The average German by 1945, as with most armies in history, would have been a young man of fighting age, probably under 30 (although there was a huge influx of the elderly who got drafted as the situation grew more and more desperate). There were many reasons that would have compelled them to keep fighting.

Why did the Wehrmacht fight on to the end?

In the east, the Red Army was poised for the final assault on Berlin. There was no rationale to continuing the war. But the Wehrmacht fought on. Fighting on to the very end in an obviously lost cause is rare. Nearly all wars in modern history, like the First World War, finish with some form of negotiation.