, ▁as ▁the ▁Dec laration ▁admitted ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁" sol id ar ity ▁of ▁gu ilt " ▁among ▁the ▁German ▁people ▁for ▁the ▁end less ▁suffering ▁wr ought ▁by ▁Germany . ▁They ▁fe ared ▁that , ▁once ▁again , ▁the ▁vict ors ▁would ▁use ▁such ▁logic ▁to ▁imp ose ▁pun ishment ▁upon ▁Germany , ▁as ▁Vers a illes ▁had ▁widely ▁been ▁viewed ▁after ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁was ▁" sol id ar ity ▁of ▁gu ilt " ▁a ▁code ▁word ▁for ▁" collect ive ▁gu ilt " — the ▁notion , ▁advoc ated ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁ha w k ish ▁Al lied ▁sp okes men , ▁that ▁all ▁Germ ans ▁( except ▁the ▁active ▁resistance ) ▁bore ▁all ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁Naz i ▁cr imes , ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁they ▁had ▁personally ▁pulled ▁triggers ▁or ▁e ject ed ▁gas ▁pel lets ▁on ▁children ? ▁The ▁Dec laration ▁did ▁not ▁express ly ▁st ip ulate ▁collect ive ▁gu ilt , ▁but ▁neither ▁did ▁it ▁express ly ▁adopt ▁the ▁more ▁moder ate ▁doctrine ▁that ▁gu ilt ▁and ▁responsibility , ▁like ▁all ▁things ▁human , ▁were ▁generally ▁matters ▁of ▁degree . ▁ ▁N ies el , ▁a ▁former ▁student ▁of ▁Karl ▁Bar th ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁sign ator ies ▁of ▁the ▁Dec laration , ▁concluded ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁general ▁unw illing ness ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁people ▁to ▁accept ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁Naz i ▁rule . ▁As ▁H ock en os ▁puts ▁it : ▁