AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND POW KILLING IN THE EUROPEAN …

AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND POW KILLING IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF WORLD WAR II THESIS

Presented to the Graduate Council of Texas State University-San Marcos

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree Master of ARTS

by Justin M. Harris, B.A.

San Marcos, Texas December 2009

AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND POW KILLING IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF WORLD WAR II

Committee Members Approved: _______________________________ James Pohl, Chair _______________________________ Mary Brennan _______________________________ Jeffrey Mauck

Approved: ____________________________________ J. Michael Willoughby Dean of the Graduate College

COPYRIGHT by

Justin Michael Harris 2009

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe everlasting gratefulness to many people who pleasantly involved themselves in helping me undertake this work. First and foremost I offer my sincerest gratitude to my committee members, Dr. James Pohl, Dr. Mary Brennan, and Dr, Jeffrey Mauck, who have supported me with their knowledge and patience. And to my family, I offer a heartfelt apology for talking of nothing else for the past two years. This manuscript was submitted on 10 December 2009.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................................................................................iv ASTRACT ....................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................1 POW Killing in World War II Historiography...........................................2 Goals of the Study...................................................................................11

II. THE ADJUSTMENT STAGE.......................................................................13

The American Soldier and Combat Stress ...............................................16 The Heat of Battle...................................................................................18 III. THE TOUGHENING STAGE .....................................................................23

Fear of a False Surrender ......................................................................24 Utilitarian Factors .................................................................................30 Tactical Limitations................................................................................33 IV. THE COARSENING STAGE......................................................................39

Revenge for the Death or Wounding of a Comrade .................................41 Violations of the American Combat Ethos ..............................................45 The Biscari Incident ..............................................................................52 Inappropriate Enemy Behavior...............................................................62 V. THE BRUTALIZATION STAGE.................................................................69 Revenge for Enemy "Atrocities".............................................................71 Wholesale Condemnation of the SS.........................................................76 The 45th Division and the Liberation of Dachau......................................79

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