The myth of “The War without hate” in North Africa - Historum

Edward · January 31st, 2011, 01:16 AM

"While Rommel insisted that no Waffen SS units be sent to North Africa, he was not able to stop the Gestapo from coming to Libya and Tunisia. While it is not as widely known, the slaughter of Jews also took place in North Africa. A month after Rommel arrived in Tobruk, SS-Standartenführer Walter Rauff arrived. His mission was the elimination of and persecution of Jews and partisans in North Africa and the Middle East (including the British Mandate of Palestine). He was also supposed to court Arab nationalists who were determined to drive the French and British from the area, Many Arabs looked upon the Germans as liberators and not the next occupier. In actuality, however, the German were after the rich oil fields and saw the Arabs as an ends to a means.
The main concentration camps were located near Jado, Tunisia. It is unknown how many Jews died there but it is believed that most probably died from typhoid. But make no mistake, if they had not died from disease, malnutrition and exhaustion, then other methods would have been used. Rauff had been instrumental in the development of mobile gas chambers before coming to Tunisia.
The prisoners in the concentration camps were used to dig trenches, build airports, lay minefields and other difficult and or dangerous jobs. It is difficult to believe that Rommel was not aware of the use of this forced labor. Besides Jews, European citizens, particularly British were also rounded up by the Gestapo, however these usually sent to camps in Europe.
The Gestapo also interrogated prisoners and courted spies among the local population. It is possible that Gestapo Spies in Cairo tipped off the failed raids on Tobruk, Jalo, and Benghazi. While Rommel tried to keep POWs out of the hands of the Gestapo, some high value POWs were undoubtedly turned over to them and most civilian spies would have been turned over. Members of SIG would have been of special interest to the Gestapo."

**Toltec** · January 31st, 2011, 01:25 AM

Source...LRDG Long Range Desert Group, Other Elite Units

**Linschoten** · January 31st, 2011, 01:36 AM

Not really a myth as far as the miltary conflict was concerned (I have known many people who fought in the Britsih forces in North Africa, including my father). Of course any Nazi occupation would bring nasty things in its wake, and still nastier if victory had been achieved there.

Edward · January 31st, 2011, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toltec

Source...LRDG Long Range Desert Group, Other Elite Units

that ris right

Edward · January 31st, 2011, 01:47 AM

History_of_the_Jews_in_Libya

Italian colonization and World War II

In 1911, Libya was colonized by Italy. By 1931, there were 21,000 Jews living in the country (4% of the total population of 550,000), mostly in Tripoli. The situation for the Jews was generally good. But, in the late 1930s, the Fascist Italian regime began passing anti-Semitic laws. As a result of these laws, Jews were fired from government jobs, some were dismissed from government schools, and their citizenship papers were stamped with the words "Jewish race." Despite this repression, 25% of the population of Tripoli was still Jewish in 1941 and 44 synagogues were maintained in the city. In 1942, German troops fighting the Allies in North Africa occupied the Jewish quarter of Benghazi, plundering shops and deporting more than 2,000 Jews across the desert. Sent to work in labor camps, more than one-fifth of this group of Jews perished . And Jews were the most in the city of Tripoli and Benghazi and there are some minorities in Al Bayda and Misurata.

**jungleplanewreck** · January 31st, 2011, 02:01 AM

How do you assume this is a myth? I was unaware that people ignored the Nazi's time in Africa.

Frog33inUK · January 31st, 2011, 03:51 AM

Actually, it was a myth before the war moved to North Africa.

It has been proved that Rommel's Panzer Division during May/June 1940 murdered many black and arab prisoners from French Colonial troops. Even if he may not have given the orders, he did not do anything to prevent it from happening.