he hated Nazism, but he was drafted and those who refused the draft were sent to concentration camps. Thus he had no choice but to go to the front against the soviets, where he sabatoged his platoons machine gun Then surrendered without resistance.
This is a True story according to his diary.
My understanding is that most war refusers weren't treated particularly harshly. Like the idea that you'd be shot on the spot if you refused to do warcrimes just is not true.