The suffering never stops, does it? To think these people could take in strangers while missing their own loved ones, only to lose those men in the end, anyway.
What an odd incident. I wonder who in the German army allowed for prisoners to be given to their relatives in the first place. It sounds like somebody acted against orders, and when a higher up found out about it they sent in troops to regather them up an execute them. I wonder what happened to the German officer that green lit the exchange in the first place.
War is unnecessarily brutal to the farmers and peasants. The backbone of society suffer so much while the ones with power, either the soldiers or the politicians, die quickly or live happily.
@sixfish11 Contrary to popular belief, german soldiers were also people of flesh and blood who followed orders but were likewise capable of showing empathy.
@Oured I'm aware the soldiers were. It just seems like an odd thing that German command in the region would order be done. The quick turnaround is also suspicious