To what extent were mid to low ranking members of the Wehrmacht associated with Nazi Ideals, in comparison to the extent at which the Schutzstaffel (SS) was associated with those same ideals?
I was reading this thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitWehraboosSay/comments/79mrz5/any_of_you_ever_think_a_lot_of_the_clean/
and I thought about how many people agree with the idea of a "clean Wehrmacht." I had a professor whose dad served in the Wehrmacht, and she had also said that he and the people he served with were a separate entity than the Nazis (even though she somewhat acknowledged that they served the Nazi cause).
So, what is the official take on this question by historians? To me it seems like the Wehrmacht were just "following orders," but I could be completely wrong. The idea that the allies "implanted" the idea of a clean Wehrmacht seems to be teetering on the edge of conspiracy theory-ish, so I am a bit hesitant to agree with that statement.
The "Clean Wehrmacht myth" - is false. The Wehrmacht where absolutely complacent in war crimes, sometimes aiding the SS in committing said crimes, or committing them themselves. In my studies of Army Group South and the German 6th Army this became very apparent during the Babi Yar massacre.
The "Following orders" is a famous defense tactic - and is even known as the "Nuremberg defense" for during the Nuremberg trials this was the primary excuse for the accused. Many of the defendants claimed they where not guilty because they "where only following orders"
As an avid historian and student of history with a keen interest in German Military during WWII - and more specifically the War in the East I can 100% tell you the "Clean Wehrmacht" is a lie. Now, does this mean every German soldier in the Wehrmacht is guilty of war crimes? - no. Many Germans were nationalists and just doing their part - however, as the war dragged on, and the younger generation started replacing the veterans the more rife the Nazi Ideals became.
I would also like to include the "Severity Order" to this post, as it is relevant. Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau commander of the 6th Amry issued the "Severity Order" also dubbed the "Reichenau Order" which was an order that stated...
"..The most important objective of this campaign against the Jewish-Bolshevik system is the complete destruction of its sources of power and the extermination of the Asiatic influence in European civilization. ... In this eastern theater, the soldier is not only a man fighting in accordance with the rules of the art of war, but also the ruthless standard bearer of a national conception. ... For this reason the soldier must learn fully to appreciate the necessity for the severe but just retribution that must be meted out to the subhuman species of Jewry. ..."
This order essentially made any Jew a defacto partisan and commanders were directed that they be either summarily shot or handed over to the Einsatzgruppen execution squads of the SS-Totenkopfverbände as the situation dictated. Other High ranking German commanders like Field Marshal Gerd von Rundsted completely agreed with the order. Lower raking German soldiers where absolutely complaint weather they agreed/ believed in it or not - otherwise they would be in trouble for disobeying direct orders.
The 6th Army also provided men, weapons ammo and logistical support for the Bila Tserkva massacre in 1941.
To understand why the "Clean Wehrmacht myth" is a lie is to also understand that - "just becasue you didn't pull the trigger doesn't mean you didn't play a part" On the other hand - to accuse every German soldier of war crimes is absurd, becasue that also is not true.
EDIT - Added content