ɪn ɐdˈɪʃən, ðə tˈaɪɾəl ɪz ɐn ɐlˈuːʒən tə ðə fɹˈeɪz kˈɑːmən ɐmˌʌŋ sˈoʊldʒɚz ʌvðɪ ˈælaɪd pˈaʊɚz dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðɪ ɪnvˈeɪʒən ʌv jˈʊɹɹəp ˈæftɚ dˈiːdˈeɪ, ðˈæt "ðɪ ˈoʊnli ɡˈʊd dʒˈɜːmən ɪz ɐ dˈɛd dʒˈɜːmən" — ænd ðə kˈɑːnsɪkwənsᵻz ʌv ðɪs dˈɛθ ɑːɹ sˈiːd fɔːɹ ˈɔːl ðæt fˈɑːloʊz ɪnðə stˈoːɹi ʌvðə fˈɪlm.
In addition, the title is an allusion to the phrase common among soldiers of the Allied Powers during the invasion of Europe after D-Day, that "The only good German is a dead German" — and the consequences of this death are seed for all that follows in the story of the film.