Quite happy to take part in shootings Summary and Analysis

Chapter 4, "'Quite happy to take part in shootings'—forced to obey orders—the myth" examines the widely-held belief that those who participated in genocide were forced so to do. Many now believe that the executioners themselves were forced to decide between being victim or murderer; this chapter seeks to dispel that myth. The brief chapter includes fourteen statements excerpted from larger documents (refer to note IV on p. 284 for sources). The statements come from police officials, government officials, members of the SS, and members of various Einsatzgruppen. All of the statements agree that no definitive punishment was incurred by refusal to participate in various aspects of genocide. Soldiers who refused to perform executions were not summarily sent to the front; civilians who refused to participate were not...