Talk:Kurt Waldheim/archive

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Facts in entry correct?

Your facts are not all correct on this entry. If you read the commisions actual report they did not clear him.

Very interesting, what was he accused off? I have posted comments on other places on wikipedia but no answers or comments. Am i the first to respond to you?


Allegations or Revelations?

Unsuccessfully Waldheim had sought to be elected President of Austria in 1971, but a second attempt in 1986 proved successful despite revelations that he had served as an officer in a German army unit that had committed war atrocities in Yugoslavia, during World War II. An investigation cleared him from the allegations, but his term as president was tainted and he would not seek re-election in 1992.

Okay, which is it?? Allegations or revelations? This paragraph is clearly contradictory. Daniel Quinlan 01:13, Oct 29, 2003 (UTC)
The allegations were of course that he was involved in war atrocities. The Austrian government commissioned an investigation by a board of historians (I am not sure if there was an Austrian on this board, but there was at least one member from the US, one from Switzerland, one from Israel). The investigation cleared him from allegations of being himself involved in war crimes, but (as I remember) pointed out that there were gaps and inaccuracies (mildly speaking; others would call it "lies") in Waldheim's own account of his wartime service. He was a communications officer, I think, in charge of sending reports, so he must have known more about whatever happened than he admitted.
Waldheim was put on the US "Watchlist" (of suspected war criminals and Nazis), and was in general shunned by other world leaders. Austrians felt that this was (a) unfair but (b) bad for Austria. Waldheim himself ignored these problems and saw himself as being rather popular, and did want to seek reelection; however, the party that had supported his first bid (Austrian People's party, conservatives) withdrew support. Aleph4 10:59, 9 Dec 2003 (UTC)
I hope that, at least for the time being, what I just added ("allegations of having been a war criminal") will help make this passage less ambiguous.
The Waldheim affair is a very complex matter and should probably have its own article. Whatever Waldheim did during World War II (and it seems he didn't do anything apart from shutting up and trying to get ahead), what people didn't like at all was that he wouldn't remember. Time had Waldheim's image and "The Art of Forgetting" on its cover. By the way, already in his memoirs, In the Eye of the Storm, Waldheim had failed to mention his role during WWII.
The U.S. "Watchlist" (of suspected war criminals and Nazis) mentioned by Aleph4 is also rather interesting. It has been mentioned again and again in Austrian papers, which focused on the fact that a former U.N. Secretary General was now denied access to the U.S. Personally, I wonder if that is still the case. Does anyone know? --KF 14:59, 9 Dec 2003 (UTC)


Did he break the Geneva Convention?

I would like to hear more about the 15 British POWs. Where is this documented? It was my impression that he was in no position to issue "executive orders", but I may be wrong.

Also, I think that "Nazi past" is inaccurate. There are differences between

  • serving in the Wehrmacht (Hitler's army), which committed war crimes
  • committing war crimes
  • being a Nazi

It is true that there are many Nazis who committed war crimes, but not every war criminal is/was a Nazi, and not every Nazi is/was a war criminal.


Aleph4 14:24, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)


If there is a proof that he breached the Geneva Conventions, than that is a war crime. But the next sentence states that he was cleared from being a war criminal. Sounds contradictory. 143.50.212.215 17:31, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)


I removed the sentence He also served in Greece, whence he signed an executive order that broke the Geneva Conventions by putting 15 captured British pilots to death. for the moment. This is really a serious allegation, and I think it should not be in wikipedia without being backed up by some sources, at least of the kind "A New York Times article in month/year reports that..." or "In his book xxx, journalist/historian /..." yyy accuses Waldheim..."
I also modified "Nazi past", see my remarks above.
Aleph4 10:03, 14 Apr 2004 (UTC)


Member of the SS?

As far as I know, he was not a member of the SS, but of the Wehrmacht 143.50.212.215 17:35, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The Membership in the SA is too highly questinable. When Hitler occopied Austria his centralised Diktatorship overtook all organisations simelar like the communists, witch is called in German "Gleichschaltung". So a lot of Organisation where either closed dawn ore became part of NS Organisations mainly with the SA in witch you could find everything from a car drivers association to sportclubs. Surly it is not overseeable if or how long by his own will he was part of this organisation, because he was belonging before to one of the transfered Austrian sports organisations.

Did he break the Geneva Convention? (again)

I removed the following section: He also served in Greece, whence he signed an executive order that broke the Geneva Conventions by putting 15 captured British pilots to death. Reasons: I have never heard that he signed an executive order putting 15 pow's to death. Where is it documented? Gugganij 15:11, 14 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Soviet blackmail

Since I have never heard the following information before, I would like to know where it is documented:

Media reports in 1983 revealed that the Soviet Union implicated him through captured German archives at the beginning of his first term. They used this information to blackmail him. His second term as Secretary General was heavily anti-American as per the Soviet Union's prodding.

Additionally, what is exactly meant by heavily anti-American? What is the author of those lines refering to? Gugganij 23:50, 27 Jun 2004 (UTC)

I removed the section quoted above from the article. Gugganij 13:34, 7 Jul 2004 (UTC)