I love German culture. I dig the food, the language fascinates me, the history of that section of Europe is loaded with amazing tales, and it dovetails nicely with my interest in World War II. I enjoy reading about the tactics, famous battles, and the various war machines used by all sides, especially the aircraft. (As far as tanks and other armor are concerned, in particular, I find that the German machines just look cooler.)

However, every time I tell someone that I enjoy learning about the German side of the war, I’m forced to immediately adopt a defensive posture, because without fail, people assume the same damn thing:

“So, you must like Nazis, then.”

Oh, for the love of all that’s holy: like anyone else with a brain, I hate Nazis. Fuck Nazis, fuck national socialism, fuck Hitler’s corpse with a rusty Panzer. I’m interested in everything else about the war, not the goddamn politics. Planes and tanks don’t have a political affiliation. Guys lying in the trenches shooting at each other were doing it out of patriotism, not some ridiculous political ideology. (Not to mention that memberships in political parties and voting rights were actually forbidden to soldiers in the early days of the Wehrmacht.) I don’t even like modern politics, let alone historical ones! I try to view the war itself as objectively as possible, and for me, the German stuff’s just the most interesting.

I’m sure this is because like any other American, we learned about American involvement in the war first and foremost during school. In other words, I had my fill of the American stuff; I wanted to learn about the rest. (I should point out that I also enjoy reading about the Soviet side, and they were counted amongst the Allies. [To keep up with my previous angry tone: fuck Stalin! Happy now?] Lastly, my favorite WWII airplane is an American one: the Chance-Vought F4U Corsair. Eat me.)

Moving on, I most certainly do not enjoy reading about the Holocaust. Like any other decent human being, that whole atrocity disgusts me on a level that defies description. I avoid that crap whenever I can, and stick with the relatively cut-and-dry world of military tactics. So, as I’ve made quite clear, I hate Nazis, I hate Hitler and his cronies, and I hate the Holocaust. Yet, misconceptions continue.

It’s not like i’m driving one of these to work. (Though it would certainly help solve the traffic problem.)

I think a large part of people’s misconceptions is due to ignorance. A majority of people haven’t studied any WWII history, and that’s perfectly understandable; it’s not as important as, say, basic math and reading skills. But complicating this matter is willful ignorance and the perpetuation of stereotypes, which still exist over six decades later. There’s still harbored mistrust of the German people amongst many Americans, especially those of the WWII generation. I can understand that old wounds take time to heal, but come on; there’s no excuse for prejudice. As far as later generations are concerned, look no further than popular music: scores of people refer to Rammstein as “Nazi rock,” simply because they sing in German!

I used to play the Axis & Allies Miniatures tabletop game a lot, before it got too expensive (and the local tournament scene dried up). I built some decent German and Soviet armies within that game, and fortunately, the guys I played with held no misconceptions. They knew I was just enjoying the history, not picking sides between good and evil. (The fact that my opponents were quite learned in WWII history helped considerably, I’m sure.) When I play the regular Axis & Allies board game, or any other WWII game, I’ll almost always pick the Germans. I have no trouble playing the “bad guys,” especially since it’s just a damn game. I’m not yelling “Sieg heil!” while I play; I’m just enjoying myself, and I often entertain other players by affecting a German accent. Again, my opponents understand that we’re just having fun; no politics needed.

Someday, I’d love to visit Germany itself, so I can enjoy the history up close and personal. Not to mention stuffing myself silly with their excellent cuisine; need I remind you of my penchant for gourmet chocolate? I also plan to attend Wacken Open Air someday…and try to survive. Wrapping all of that up with amazing history…it would be a vacation to remember.

I’m not an apologist for Nazi atrocities or any of that nonsense; I just enjoy learning. Is that really so difficult to understand?