Funny that people care now or in the last couple decades because they sure forgave quickly after ww2. Germans with death sentences for war crimes were reduced to life after a few years. Then they got out serving only ten. I’ve read much history on the subject and it is amazing how people allowed so many true war criminals go. I forget his name but the tank commander at the bulge that executed Americans got out quick. But in the middle of the night someone came and settled the score.
A very, very nasty time in history for almost all parties involved.
Recall that the first major European holocaust in the 20th Century was the slaughter of Ukrainians, known as the Holodomor, by Stalin and his Bolsheviks.
When given a chance, many Ukranians sided with the Nazis to fight the Soviets.
” tank commander at the bulge that executed Americans”
Joachim Peiper. The gun battle at his home in France(!) ended his life. Of course there are rumors he faked it and died in Germany later.
I believe you are thinking of Joachim Peiper.
Communists claimed credit, btw. "Burned" = Molotov cocktails, "killed" = apparent smoke inhalation, given the carbonized state of the found body.
Joachim Peiper?
Joachim Peiper - he didn't execute Americans. Some of the troops in his kampfgruppe may have.
It was French Communists that killed him. You must remember that French Communists also eliminated people in the French Resistance who weren't Communists whenever they got the chance - in order to clear the way after the Amis threw off the Nazi yoke.
“...bulge that executed Americans...”
“...bulge that murdered Americans...”
“Executed” implies a legal process. That happened at Malmedy was plain old fashioned lawless murder.