“The orders were for the Führer, and I followed them faithfully.”
“I was just following orders, and I believed that was the right thing to do.”
“I am not the monster I am made out to be; I was simply a cog in the machine.”
“It was my job to organize transportation; I was not responsible for the outcome.”
“Responsibility lies with those who made the decisions, not with those who carried them out.”
“I had no authority to challenge the orders given to me.”
“I was a bureaucrat; my role was administrative, not ideological.”
“I never personally killed anyone; I was involved only in logistics.”
“I tried to be efficient in my work, but I did not see myself as an evil person.”
“History will judge, but I see myself as a man who followed his duty.”
“I never questioned the morality of what I was doing; it was not my place to do so.”
“The final solution was not my idea; I only implemented what was ordered.”
“My conscience is clear because I acted under legal orders.”
“I believed that serving my country was the highest form of duty.”
“I regret that I did not have the courage to refuse, but the consequences would have been severe.”
“I was a small part of a vast system; my actions were insignificant in the larger scheme.”
“I was conditioned to obey without question; that was the culture of the time.”
“I did not act out of hate; I acted out of loyalty to my superiors.”
“I did not have the freedom to choose; my life was bound by duty.”
“I carried out my role with precision, believing I was contributing to a greater cause.”
“I tried to detach myself emotionally from the consequences of my work.”
“I did not feel that I had the right to make moral judgments about my tasks.”
“My superiors were the architects of policy; I was merely an executor.”
“The bureaucracy demanded efficiency, and I provided it without question.”
“I regret that I did not see the humanity of those affected by my actions.”
“I believed in the chain of command and never thought to break it.”
“My actions were dictated by the laws and policies of the time.”
“I never intended to cause harm; I was fulfilling my role as instructed.”
“I was driven by duty, not personal animosity or ideological zeal.”
“Looking back, I wish I had the courage to speak out, but fear paralyzed me.”
“I was taught that obedience was the highest virtue.”
“My loyalty to the state blinded me to the suffering I was complicit in.”
“I never imagined the scale of the tragedy; I saw only my small part.”
“I regret not questioning the system, but I felt powerless to change it.”
“I considered myself a patriot, doing what was necessary for my country.”
“I did not see myself as an individual; I was a tool of the state.”
“The magnitude of the crimes committed was beyond my comprehension at the time.”
“I was trapped in a system where questioning orders was not an option.”
“My work was administrative, and I distanced myself from the moral implications.”
“I regret that my efficiency contributed to such suffering.”
“I was a part of a machine that I did not fully understand.”
“I see now that blind obedience can lead to unimaginable horrors.”
“I wish I had recognized the humanity of those whose lives were destroyed.”
“I was a product of my environment, but that does not excuse my actions.”
“I failed to see the consequences of my work until it was too late.”
“I regret my role in a system that caused so much pain and loss.”
“The responsibility for these crimes lies with all who participated, including myself.”
“I did not act out of malice, but my actions had devastating effects.”
“I wish I had the strength to stand against the tide of obedience.”
“My story is a cautionary tale of what happens when morality is subordinated to duty.”