"0 Denji The general defense of all defendants at the Nuremberg trials was "Befehl ist Befehl", which comes down to same: shoving away one's responsibility for one's deeds. In the end the judges didn't agree with FM Keitel's view and was executed for the actions which he defends with this quote. The hard times he refers to is WWII, being obedient meant crimes against humanity. Though I respect your feelings towards the moral behind the quote, I disagree to the utmost degree with the meaning Keitel gave to it."