[B.T.]

Isn't this going a little off topic here? What's the point? We were discussing war crimes. And I think, this has little to do with an army being made out of professionals or being a conscript army!

By the way: The Wehrmacht was a conscript army, built around a core of professionals. Some years ago the decline of military skills and leadership in the German fighting units was debated and the term "Entprofessionalisierung" was introduced for this. It means (shortened): 1941 was the point in time, where it was clear, that the military leadership of commanding officers in front line troops had declined to such an degree, that troops lacked a lot of professional leadership.
In the earlier stage of the war, the SS was a volunteer-force. And certain units were composed out of volunteers. For example the Sturmartillerie was composed out of volunteers, stemming from the tank branch or from the artillery. But the majority of the troops were no volunteers. Period.

A little more back to topic:
About two or three month ago, two German historians published a book, after they had researched documents of the Western Allies. The allied forces had prison camps, where they bugged (listened to) German POWs. And what was getting very clear: A lot of German soldiers - professionals and conscripts alike - were well aware, that they did not fight the war, as it should have been. They talked quite frankly about the destroying of civil property, the killing of civilians, raping of women, and the like.
What does this tell: From my personal point of view it seems to stress, that people, that had been brought up in a dictatorship and therefore (Wrongly) knew, they were the masterrace, had little trouble, to kill civilians, they thought inferior to themselves.

IIRC the Canadians had a case during the RESTORE HOPE/Somalia engagement of th UN. Some soldiers of a paratrooper unit had been involved in criminal activities and had oppressd Somalis (I'm just remembering. This should not be mistaken as "Canada-bashing"!!). Similar things have happened in all wars. Mo has pointed on several incidents involving French military.

I am a little annoyed, I have to confess. Everyone trying to blame soldiers of one nationality or another just does not help in discussing the question, if war crimes would be punished or not.

If I was to harsh here, please inform me. I try to be calm, but I'm not certain, if I actually am to harsh.