Final answer:
The necessity of killing innocents in war, such as in World War II scenarios, is a complex ethical and strategic decision. While historical accounts suggest instances where such terrible choices had to be made, evaluating their necessity involves deeply challenging moral considerations, weighed against the goal of defeating a regime responsible for egregious war crimes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario described by the student is a deeply challenging ethical and strategic question that arises in wartime, specifically relating to World War II. During Operation Barbarossa, the German military employed brutal tactics, such as using prisoners of war to force the hands of opposing armies. This raised serious moral dilemmas for Allied Commanders who had to choose between firing upon innocent civilians being used as human shields or risking being overrun by enemy forces. Such decisions were agonizing and remain controversial, as they had to weigh the immediate loss of innocent lives against the strategic needs of warfare and the long-term goal of defeating a regime responsible for widespread atrocities including the Holocaust.
It's difficult to categorically state whether it was necessary to kill the innocent, as this implicates moral considerations that extend beyond the strategic imperatives of war. Throughout the conflict, incidents like the deliberate massacre of civilians by German troops in Belgium and the psychological toll of mass shootings on German soldiers themselves highlight the complex interplay of ethical considerations, military strategy, and human psychology, making any definitive answer to the question highly contextual and subjective.