 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reprisals and execution of hostages
According to international humanitarian law and the laws and customs of war in effect at the time, it was permissible to subject the civilian population to reprisals (counter measures) and even to
shoot hostages as a form of »atonement« if such measures were deemed
necessary to avert attacks on one's own soldiers and to secure control for
the occupying forces.
The German Wehrmacht made use of this possibility throughout Europe on a criminal
scale. Tens of thousands of civilians were shot ...
