Very often I hear people saying that the Germans are responsible for two world wars. For me it feels like racism when people without actually knowing the facts are blaming the Germans for being responsible for two wars.

I am not trying to find excuses for the Germans and it is without doubt that the Germans are responsible for the World War II, but I like to put the things straight. Regarding the First World War, it was indirectly initiated by the “Black Hand” which was a terror organization in Serbia.

Let us go back to the months before the Black Hand had completed their operation in Sarajevo. In these months before the first world war had started many countries prepared for war by upgraded their weapons and their armor of their Soldiers. Many countries were also unsure of their situation and were afraid to be dragged in to this war. For this reason they started to make alliance agreements with other nations in Europe. Germany had already made an alliance agreement with Austria-Hungary. From my point of view it looks like Germany was dragged in to this war because of Austria-Hungary. I agree that Germany did upgrade their technical equipment and also their army in the last months before the war, but at that current point, the political situation was so tightened, so that every single political disagreement would have caused a War. That’s why I think that it’s wrong and racistic to say that Germany is guilty for two world wars. What is actually racism? Racism is to think that only one human race is the right and good one. There are many different types of racism and every person is defining racism in another way. For me it’s racism to use the word “Nazi” to a German citizens today, but I will come back to this later. Now I’m going in to the second world war.

Although Hitler was born Austrian, he was the dictator of Germany and he persuaded the Germans into the war because of his own greed for power. What happened during this war is unforgiveable and should never be forgotten, but it is to mention that only half of the German Citizens agreed in starting the Second World War while the other half didn’t. The majority of the German soldiers were young boys who did not really have any other choice than to obey the order. Any objections from them would have led to their own death by the Commanders.

It is also important to state that my generation and even my father’s generation cannot be hold responsible for what our grandparents did. We have nothing to do with the second world war, we aren’t even interested in war or political greed. I have a hard time to understand this generalization of the Germans being a country of war loving inhabitants.

The young generation Germans is absolutely not interested in war and they are not proud of their history. It is opposite. The Germans are ashamed of their WW2 history. This is also the reason why I get provocated and irritated when I very often hear the word Nazi (national socialist) is being used in connection to the Germans. This is a word that has a deep and painful meaning to it and has really nothing to do with today’s Germany.

It is provocation when someone says that the Germans are like Hitler or the Germans are Nazis. Today we are an Industrial Nation like France and Great Britain. After the second world war the NATO even limited Germanys Military Action for approximately 50 years. All though the Germans, including myself, still got the stamp of being a Nazi on them. We are even being confronted with this today when we, innocent German citizens are visiting other foreign countries. This is racism for me. Hitler, SS and the Nazi-regime has nothing to do with our Generation, why are people categorizing us then?

Also many teenagers are using the word “Nazi” in wrong context just to express their irritation and anger. For example when they miss the subway or in other relations where they want to express their frustration they say: “Oh this is so Nazi!” What has the word “Nazi” to do with missing the subway? I get irritated by these pointless statement, which I interpretate racistic. I can’t understand why teenagers find themself cool when they say that something is Nazi or liking to say the word Nazi. It is disunderstandable for me as half German to use Nazi like you are using the word shit or similar expressions. No teenager would ever say Nazi about anyone or anything. You are being looked at as an complete freak when you are using this word in wrong context. Of course it can be used if some old fellow really was a Nazi in the old days but not to express anger just for losing the subway.

I guess many teenagers are using this word in lack of knowledge. I assume that a teenager using this word instead of a course don’t know about the background of this word. People who knows the history and the exact meaning behind the word Nazi and it sad and tragic chapter of history would never use it in a normal and harmless context like losing the subway. For me it is racism to call somebody Nazi for instants just because she/he disagrees with you in some way. To be called Nazi is one of the worse insulting things you can be called as a German.