Books: Blood and Irony

(4 of 4)

For Manchester, the Krupps are the personification of German power. He lumps them both together and finds both guilty. He never really grapples with the ultimate and painfully intricate question — of whether the Krupps and weapons makers generally are a cause or a byproduct of military nationalism. Do they make policy, or simply profit from it? In bringing the question of German culpability up to date, Manchester neglects to mention that most West Germans were born after 1933. Though they bear no guilt for the past, they show grave concern over the profound moral issues raised by the manufacture of weapons and their use in the world. Generally, they have concluded that where moral doubt exists, it is better to abstain from profit. Young Germans are among the world's least militaristic people — perhaps because they have been profoundly influenced by the example of the past. So too, in part, have the postwar managers of the Krupp works who have consistently refused to produce cannon. The final irony: two months ago, with the last Krupp gone, the company's management announced that it would not produce guns or rockets but would intensify activity in the military sphere, seeking orders for armored vehicles and warship hulls.