The duty of the German Soldier

1. The Wehrmacht is the Arms Carrier of the German Nation. It protects the German Reich and Fatherland, the through National-Socialism united nation and its living space. The root of its power rests in a glorious past, in German national traditions, German soil, and German labour. Service in the Wehrmacht is service in honor of the German nation.

2. The honor of a soldier lies in unconditioned commitment of his person for Nation and Fatherland, even to the sacrifice of his life.

3. Highest virtue of a soldier is militant velour. It demands vigor and resoluteness. Cowardice is disgraceful, hesitation is not worthy of a soldier.  

4. Obedience is the basis for the Armed Forces; Trust is the basis of obedience. Soldierly leadership is based on enjoyment of accountability, superior ability, and indefatigable care.     

5. Great Achievements in war and peace arise only in the staunch combat union of Führer and troops.   

6. Combat union demands comradeship. It’s proven especially in adversity and danger.

7. Self-conscious, though modest, upright and loyal, religious and truthful, discreet and modest, the German soldier should be a role model of manly strength for the whole nation. Only accomplishment justifies pride.

8. The German soldier finds great reward and highest happiness in the awareness of gladly performed duty.

Berlin May 25, 1934

Der Reich’s Präsident             Der Reich’s Army secretary
(gez.). von Hindenburg           (gez.) Von Bromberg

These duties of the German soldier every soldier had to memorize. They are not only guide lines for his time as a soldier, but for the whole of live.

Note:

1 After Major Foertsch, Wehrpflichtfibel, Offene Worte, Berlin--- no printing year given (ca 1935), S 55 f.

The following 10 commandments for the warfare were contained in every pay book of a German soldier in the Second World War and where borne in mind.

1. The German soldier fights gallantly for the victory of his nation. Cruelties and senseless destructions are unworthy of him.

2. The combatant must be uniformed or be equipped with a specially introduced badge, seen well in great distance. Fighting in civilian clothing, without such badge is prohibited.

3. No enemy, who surrenders, is allowed to be killed, nor a guerilla or a spy. These receive their just punishment through the courts.  

4. Prisoners of war are not permitted to be maltreated or insulted. Weapons, plans and records are to be confiscated. Their belongings are otherwise not to be touched.   

5. Dumdum bullets are prohibited. Bullets are not permitted to be modified into such.

6. The Red Cross is inviolable. Wounded enemies are to be treated humanly. Medical orderlies and army chaplains are not to be hindered in their medical, resp. pastoral activity.

7. The civil population is inviolable. The soldier is not allowed to plunder or wantonly destroy. Historical monuments and buildings which serve divine service, the arts, science or charity are to be especially respected. Natural supplies and services by the civilian population are only allowed to be called for on orders of superiors against compensation.   

8. Neutral territory is not allowed to be involved in the war actions by either entry or over-flying, nor through strafing or shelling.  

9. Should a German soldier be taken prisoner, he has to give, on demand, his name and rank. Under no circumstances must he reveal the belonging to his unit of troops, and about military, political and economic conditions on the German side. He may not be enticed by promise and threatening.  

10. Contraventions against the standing orders in duty matters are a punishable offence. Offences by the enemy against the principles explained under 1 – 8 are to be reported. Retaliatory measures are only permissible on orders of higher troop leadership.

 Further comments by RjH;

Crimes by individual Wehrmacht soldiers, like rape, plundering, and destruction of dwellings, civil buildings and churches, were according to Wehrmacht penal code punishable offences and therefore prosecuted. The Wehrmacht insisted on adherence to the regulations. So one can read, e.g. in the kitbag advise of the high command of the Wehrmacht of 1940/41, booklet 16 „German deportment before foreigners“, which was issued to soldiers:

„You should adapt the same measure for yourself in foreign countries which you expect to be applied to you at home. You shouldn’t presume something for yourself in foreign countries which you would deny yourself at home in front of the examining eyes of your national companions, on whose high regard you depend. For the foreign country is not the place where you can let yourself go, because no one knows you there, to the contrary, nowhere else must you pull yourself together than in a foreign country.” (p.1)

„Don’t look for your own in foreign countries, but rather form for yourself a just impression of the other nation and of the other land.” (p. 3)

„One doesn’t prove one’s country by being overloud and raising hell, by trying to prove how cheerful one is or by behaving arrogantly, even challenging, but by behaving in a manner which is befitting for a member of a great nation.” (p. 6) 

„If you as a soldier in a foreign country behave badly, the disgrace not only will harm your nation, but also it’s Wehrmacht. Don’t believe that you are so insignificant and the Wehrmacht so large, that it doesn’t depend on your conduct alone. Don’t ever believe that ill behavior of an individual matters little within such a large frame.” (p. 7)

“And which right to unavoidable severity will you claim, if you let yourself go? How can you form a clear judgment, how can you maintain correct behavior, if you lose control of yourself in drunkenness? In this war an opportunity for more responsibility is given to many of you than in a peaceful live could have ever happen. You will have to prove worthy of this responsibility. That you are valiant in combat we know. But that all of you may also learn to be valiant, disciplined, and moderate if you don’t stand to attention, this we hope for the sake of the future of our Nation.” (p. 28)     

If every nation could have formulated such rules for its soldiers, it would not have been necessary to write books about how soldiers maltreat the civilian population. We would have never heard of the endless war crimes of the victor’s troops of WW2 after their settlement with the axis powers, e.g. in the Korean War, then the Vietnam War, especially there in Ming Lai, till today in Iraq and in Afghanistan…neither would we have heard how German soldiers after the war had been clubbed in the US-, GB-, F-, USSR-, etc. war prisons.

See also:

See also this to compare German soldiers to English