"Why of course the people don't want war.Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when
the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don't want war:
neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But after all it is the
leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether
it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ...Voice or no voice, the
people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are
being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger."
Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II |
