Jan Henrik
Do you seriously mean that § 26 Wehrgesetz is an argument against the indoctrination of the Wehrmacht by the National Socialist movement?
For a start, we should read what is actually there: suspension in the exertion of political rights (mainly vote and election) and the freedom of association. Both actually pilars in the self-conception of any modern democratic society. Nowhere is written that NS views are banned. If we then combine this with the main purpose of the "Wehrgesetz", the introduction of the general conscription and the duties of the German soldier as in the Erlass dated May 25th 1934, it should be become clear in which context to place it.
Die Pflichten des deutschen Soldaten:
1. Die Wehrmacht ist der Waffenträger des deutschen Volkes. Sie schützt das Deutsche Reich und Vaterland, das im Nationalsozialismus geeinte Volk und seinen Lebensraum. Die Wurzeln ihrer Kraft liegen in einer ruhmreichen Vergangenheit, in deutschem Volkstum, deutscher Erde und deutscher Arbeit. Der Dienst in der Wehrmacht ist Ehrendienst am deutschen Volk.
Full wording here:
http://www.wilhelm-radkovsky.de/doku.htm#DOK2
I especially point out the protection of the German Reich and Fatherland
united by National Socialism and Lebensraum (another Nazi theme).
Let's also take into account the oath on Hitler dated 1934 or the precursory oath dated 1933
Neue Eidesformel der Reichswehr vom 2. Dezember 1933:
„Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, dass ich meinem Volk und Vaterland allzeit treu und redlich dienen und als tapferer und gehorsamer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen.“
Reichswehreid (März/Mai 1935 in Wehrmacht umbenannt) ab 20. August 1934:
„Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, dass ich dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes, Adolf Hitler, dem Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht, unbedingten Gehorsam leisten und als tapferer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen.“
Let's compare it to the old oath
Reichswehreid vom 14. August 1919:
„Ich schwöre Treue der Reichsverfassung und gelobe, dass ich als tapferer Soldat das Deutsche Reich und seine gesetzmäßigen Einrichtungen jederzeit schützen, dem Reichspräsidenten und meinen Vorgesetzten Gehorsam leisten will.“
I especially point out how the binding to the constitution has been conveniently removed already in 1933.
Let's consider the many possibilties to express the right political views (or should we say to endulge in indoctrination) when outside the Wehrmacht (HJ, SA, SS, NSDAP). SPD and KPD were illegal. Every soldier was forbidden any poltical contact to organisations declared "staatsfeindlich" anyway.
Let's not close our eyes to the fact that unitary political education of every officers in the Wehrmacht by 1936 meant that topics as "Volk und Rasse", "Volk und Staat", "Volk und Wirtschaft", "Politische Geschichte" were on the study plans of the Officer's schools. Publications and propagande material of the NSDAP where not banned from the installations of the Reichswehr, later Wehrmacht but encouraged, as was the painting of "Führersprüche" on walls within barracks. The scheme worked so well that only in 1944 under the impression of the deteriorating war situation and the attempt on Hitler's life it was deemed necessary to create the NSFO, the German variant of the Politkommissär.
The sympathetic reader will hopefully understand that the apolitical stance of the Wehrmacht in such an NS environement was just a fig leaf. After the war it was too small to hide the shame. The real irony is that I do belive that a lot of the responsible actors in the Wehrmacht didn't realize how deeply they were entangled in this web and believed in the apolitical nature the institution. But loosing the sense of reality was not uncommon in Germany during this time.
For further reading (old but still essential):
Messerschmidt, Die Wehrmacht im NS Staat. Zeit der Indoktrination.
I don't think that calling this guy a lousy researcher will help furthering any argument.
Cheers
Hans