Women as spoils of war at the end of World War Two | DW Documentary

In early 1945, at least 860,000 women and girls in Germany were sexually abused by Allied soldiers. The victims, and the children they bore after being raped, suffer trauma to this day. Many remained silent throughout their lives and took their stories to their graves.
The German army rampaged through mainland Europe for six years until early 1945, when World War Two was brought to an end on the continent and the Nazi regime was defeated. But there’s a chapter in this story that’s been largely forgotten to this day: Hundreds of thousands of women and girls in Germany were sexually abused by Allied soldiers. Many remained silent out of shame and fear, particularly when the perpetrators were members of western armies.
The documentary hears the stories of some of these victims, talks to their children and grandchildren, as well as historians to reveal how the trauma has affected them throughout their lives. The documentary also shows how important it is to confront the taboo head on: After all, sexual violence against women and girls is still very much part of modern warfare.
#documentary #dwdocumentary #ww2
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[@StKrane]

Rape should be recognized as a war crime and a crime against humanity. Period.

[@bjarkerugsted7539]

it is already recognized as a crime, that is good enough

[@thechubbypuertorican917]

They were nazi women, who cares given what they supported

[@MainsMain]

It is

[@kickit59]

Sadly the Germans were doing the same things earlier in the war! Doesn't make it right that German women were abused but that is the other side of the issue! Both sides took bestiality to a whole new level considering the so called modern age we lived in at the time! WW2 was a war that should not of been fought, the leaders on both sides whipped up their population for war. What was the ending? We traded Hitler, Mussolini & Tojo for Chairman Mao & Stalin! Chairman Mao & Stalin arguably killed more individuals than Hitler & his henchmen. So what did the world gain by all of the death and destruction of WW2? We exchanged one group of homicidal maniacs for another! I am not sure what was gained by all that worldwide suffering!

[@h.s.lafever3277]

@@kickit59 it is historically accurate that some german soldiers did commit rape, it is also part of historical record that german military punished its soldiers for it, and hung many of those guilty of it. however, it was nothing compared to the sheer scale and implementation of weaponized rape as state policy like what the soviets employed. to claim otherwise is to gaslight for political reasons.... the nazis were bad people, the soviets however, were far more evil, so too is their politics. nazis murdered 11 million people. the communists murdered over 100 million.

[@user-km2sb5sb4o]

I feel so sorry not only for the rape victims, but for the children born of rape who grew up not belonging anywhere or to anyone. I hope they all find some sense of peace being able to talk about it.

[@wordscapes5690]

Same thing is happening in Ukraine right now.

[@muhammadrehanmubashir1363]

​@@wordscapes5690do you remember Serbrenica in Bosnia Herzegovina??

[@Retiredmco]

@@muhammadrehanmubashir1363 I'm old enough to remember that

[@Tethloach1]

WW2: Adolf's forces expand east " Slavic women get abused/ Poland" USSR pushes west " German women get abused" Japan enters China and Korea " abuse happens" Least abusive to women : Briton/ USA

[@donaldbraugh2314]

I believe part of the problem especially then in these hideouts where the German women held together, is that men weren't around to help protect these women. They could have protected them. Real men. Masculine men.

[@Beckford4000]

When I was at university in England back in the 90s, I had a housemate from Germany. Thekla was from Magdeburg and she told me about the experiences of her great-grandparents and the women in her city. One day, Thekla was in a pub and a man heard her accent and asked where she was from. On hearing that she was German, he told her, "you killed my grandfather." There was an argument, where she, as a 20 year old, tried to explain what happened to German women at the hands of the Russians, the man replied, "good! You deserved it!" So, if this attitude persisted in people in England in the 1990s, it is easy to understand why so few German women spoke about what happened.

[@tony16991]

Tbf, wouldn't they have been the beneficiaries of millions of slaughtered victims if the Nazis won?

[@alfredpaquin3563]

I never did like the Brits.

[@96_13.]

As people like to say... "But it didn't happen in a vacuum there's a context"

[@oogabooga6346]

What a horrible man. Your poor friend.

[@Alex-lg6nz]

I'm not denying any individual cases or this happening, but there is a huge inversion of reality in modern public perception of events. What Germans have done in Eastern Europe, which every soldier in the Red Army witnessed personally on their advance towards Berlin, as compared to the allied advance across Western Europe, would force any rational human being expect the completely opposite outcome in violence against German civilians, compared to what really happened. The attitude of commanders and harshness of punishments for such behavior of soldiers by the government was completely backwards if you don't account for ideological and cultural fundamental differences between communist and capitalist societies. People get shot in the field by their direct superiors or comrades for this stuff in Russia because they are one community that reflect on each other. In the West they are all individuals and unless it's your job, you don't care what others do on their own time. Just be on time and ready to do your work. The official, army ran brothels for US servicemen for most of US history anywhere US had a military base, should be an obvious indicator. Veteran memoirs clearly show that Soviet troops felt disgusted by Germans, which was later replaced by pity. They knew what Germans used to be, after all most of Russian tzars were basically considered saints for centuries and they where largely Germans, and they witnessed how low the entire nation have sunk. There was no widespread hatred or desire for revenge in Soviet society. They simply couldn't comprehend how this ethical degeneration happened and so they avoided any contact with Germans for over a decade, like how you would treat an insane person or a plague carrier. Alienation is the harshest punishment you can experience. That's why in later decades East Germans were the most loyal friends to Russians of all Eastern Block people. There was a lot of guilt to undo for all the Germans, that their already worse off Eastern fraction had to shoulder alone. Fraternizing with the locals was always extremely discouraged and there was almost no hope of long term relationship. You could not really marry so it was guaranteed heartbreak for both sides in a year or two. Commiting something like a rape would destroy your reputation and was completely unforgivable, as you were discrediting the entire Red Army with such shameful behavior. Instant pariah status. Social stigma was death, like it is in any of the Eastern societies. Nazis engaged in it because they dehumanized Slavs. Soviets knew perfectly well that Germans are people... or at least used to be... and could still become again...

[@CryoCoffinVampire]

My great-grandfather ran a potato cart in Essen at the time. Essen is a heavy steel and coal area, so there were many labor camps where Poles were forced to work. My great-grandfather and his wife secretly gave the potatoes they couldn’t sell to these Poles. When the Americans came through the city the Poles made sure that there was one of them guarding my great-grandparents’ house so that my grandmother and her sisters would not be raped and so that nothing would get stolen.

[@boop7313]

🥺this story really touched me. thankyou for sharing it.

[@adrianwhyatt594]

@@boop7313 Gave them their essential Essen!

[@SBCBears]

It's odd, then, that Germans fled toward American forces at the end of the war.

[@CryoCoffinVampire]

@@SBCBears The Soviets were worse, but the Americans were still bad.

[@hirniner9067]

"Not as bad as the Soviets" isn't exactly a flex.

[@katethegreat7749]

Many of these "women" were actually girls. A 14-yr old is not a woman, she is a child. Guaranteed there were younger girls, too.

[@FactCheckerGuy]

When I was in college, the feminists told me that any female who has menstruated is a "woman." As a father, I agree with you. But which is it?

[@kaleidoscopingwe]

Facts.

[@kma3647]

It's pretty well documented. No one wants to talk about it. The rule wasn't '8 to 80'. It was "take whatever you want from whoever you want because they deserve it." Stalin gave his soldiers a green light to do it, and it was encouraged up and down the ranks of the military. This video presents it like it was equal in scale. It wasn't at all. Not even close.

[@chriscatherwood4806]

German soldiers did the same in Poland and France. Sadly women have always been treated this way during war through all of history.

[@js1423]

I want to hear their stories too! We need to know every side’s trauma! And also in much lesser known wars!

[@BangFarang1]

In Ukraine and Russia too.

[@js1423]

@@BangFarang1 Are there any writings by Russian female victims of the German army? Or were they shunned as well?

[@binder946]

French women loved the german soldiers it wasn't forced for all yes some did do it for food and other benefits

[@js1423]

@@binder946 While it might have been voluntary, many still did out of survival. And some might have fallen in love. So not sure why people would penalize someone for either. Especially the former

[@arefkhairan7493]

Finally, Germany talked about it.

[@amarcord1988]

Everything that happened to the Germans is their fault and should always be said

[@zohayerhossain55555]

I was thinking of the same

[@tunctuncer2749]

Why now ? War in Ukraine...

[@sabbath8989]

I wanted to comment "I was thinking the same" Lets be honest here It really were not "Allied " soldiers that did most of the time, it was Russians One Evil regime was replaced by another.

[@arefkhairan7493]

​@sabbath8989 all parties in ww2 did the horrible things to poor women.

[@tomaseire]

I know a lovely German lady from Hamburg and she told me how her elderly unarmed father was shot and killed by the British Army as the family emerged from their cellar. Terrible times.

[@juliajs1752]

Until her very end my grandmother was terrified of Russia and Russians, and always warned my sister and me to never get anywhere near a Russian man, because nothing good would come of it. That trauma followed her over nearly sixty years.

[@bitcoinisfreedommoney.fckt2663]

"Russia and Russians" what reIgion did they follow? it rhymes with Hewish

[@VelhaGuardaTricolor]

Did she kept from you the fact it wasn't for the Russians and their sacrifice, we would be living in a NAZI WORLD today? 30 million Russians died to save Europe only 0,4 million Americans Died and 0,4 million British. Like the lady in the video says: 1:26 Soldiers from all nationalities raped women. But I guess, when we want to validate hating a country it is OK to remember only what is convenient.

[@snicker576]

Russophobia is quite common, but still highly irrational.

[@Hartley_Hare]

@@snicker576 Russophobia was quite a healthy prejudice for German women before and after the end of the Second World War.

[@snicker576]

@@Hartley_Hare Sure, during that time period. But not for the rest of their lives

[@grump9001]

My grandmother was 12 when she and her mother barely escaped the Russian army invading Danzig, hiding in the woods for 2 weeks before getting onto a refugee ship to a camp set up in Denmark- where they were given zero medical treatment and forced to do hard labor for 4 years, where thousands of women and children died. She eventually immigrated to the US and married an army cowboy, now she's 92 still living in California. She tells me to 'get ready' for what is coming. She says 'it's going to happen again.'

[@kaa7728]

Nato troops are worse

[@derekpmoore]

Yikes!

[@albertlevert2988]

Unfortunately, when I see today’s world, with what’s happening in Ukraine, Palestine, and many other places in the world, I have become very pessimistic and belief that your grandmother is right. I was born in Switzerland in the post war period, and growing in a country that escaped the disaster of the two European wars of the 20th century, and in the peaceful postwar Europe, we took peace for granted. After the end of the Soviet Union, when country after country in Eastern Europe were liberated and became democratic, I was really hopeful that we were going into a world of peace. Unfortunately I have now become pessimistic.

[@grioulaloula8594]

Unfortunately, she’s right.

[@96_13.]

As freepalestineers would say: it didn't happen in the vacuum, there's a context.

[@amys5669]

My German grandmother said they'd hide in the hay stacks on the farm. Didn't matter which side/army was coming through...if they came through, no good came from it.

[@maejohannsebastian7142]

THIS! This is exactly all the women of my family told me who had experienced that time.

[@raptorhacker599]

@@maejohannsebastian7142 and now ur shilling for israel

[@luciatheron1621]

You presume too much.​@@raptorhacker599

[@marinavoronina1247]

No war!

[@samuelschick8813]

@@raptorhacker599, "and now ur shilling for israel" Who are you shilling for?

[@nyakinyuan1005]

My mother and her peers were not raped by allied forces or Russian. They were raped and abused by Queen's guard/ British army during Kenya's fight for independence. 1952-1958. God knows what women go through.

[@Rexorazor]

It's what conservatives want.

[@96_13.]

But "it didn't happen in a vacuum. There was a context". Right?

[@Rexorazor]

@DenmarxIsConquoredGodHelpUs The governments may be, but Not all citizens of these countries.

[@Rexorazor]

@DenmarxIsConquoredGodHelpUs Also these countries don't even have the balls to start a war. They're soyboys with loud mouths..

[@lizkimani9576]

​@@96_13....what are you talking about...

[@SvDu-bb7rh]

Those who speak are those who survived. During war here in Ukraine i was shocked to know that “raped to death” cases are frequent - trauma + infection + no fast medical service and women dies fast. Many times russian soldiers trying to get rid of bodies.

[@maryellwood3653]

That's horrific, to die like that, poor women

[@oseck10]

They said that russophobia is common huh😮

[@jennharrison5579]

The same things happened to women from just about all ethnicities in Gaza on Oct. 7th. These things should be deemed war crimes/crimes against humanity. It's a story as old as time. Women are always brutalized during war

[@aavvcc]

Doesn’t surprise me at all 😢

[@Speaktruthabsolutely2023]

@@oseck10What do you mean with your comment ? What russians have done and are still doing in Ukraine at this moment is a fact not russophobia. Don’t try to justify the actions of your fellow russian citizens

[@polyglotconondrum]

An incredibly important subject that is severly underrespresented in discourse about war in general. Being silent and possibly having to bear a child from this atrocity is devastatingly common.

[@smallmeadow1]

I am so sorry for these women and their families.

[@38bass]

Well, that was heartbreaking. I scarcely imagine what it was like for those who lived through it.

[@beddietv6139]

Hmm. Can't imagine the pains these people lived through. The problem now is the world never learn. God help us all

[@user-og2wt3le4j]

I remember talking to a friend about this issue a few years back. There were rapes in present day Poland, which with border changes was part of Germany back then. Her grandmother would never talk about events during the war or right after liberation. There was such a stigma and shame to any violence committed against women.

[@gisfdlc9210]

I agree with you @beddietv6139. I am 39 years old, and I've been contemplating the nature of our world and its inherent cycles. Like the chapters of history, everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is true of all experiences, including wars. They arise, peak, and eventually fade away. Similarly, time-a gift from God-allows for the unfolding of events and the ultimate revelation of reality. In our world's complex history, the Nazis committed horrendous acts driven by the darkest parts of human nature. It's a stark reminder that individuals are faced with a choice: to act with kindness or cruelty during challenging times. Those who succumb to the latter, influenced by the era's troubles, will inevitably face their consequences. Justice may seem delayed, but it is never denied. As we approach the end of our earthly journeys, a more significant judgment awaits beyond death's veil. On that day, all will stand before the ultimate judge, and every voice, once silenced by cruelty, will be heard. The victims of injustice will be present, awaiting the long-overdue justice they deserve. Our purpose here is profound yet beautifully simple-to love. We are here to cherish our planet, families, friends, countries, nature... The promise of universal justice fortifies my heart, compelling me to uphold these principles relentlessly. This belief in love and justice forms the cornerstone of my existence and is a cause I will never abandon.

[@oh_rhythm]

Now it is

[@mho...]

......and why cant most ppl learn to change?! they are stuck in religious brainwashing & always blame/pray-for the imaginary skywizard to change human existence, instead of working together to better our civilisation

[@billknudson2236]

I was born in the US in 1955. I am now 68. This is the first I have heard of this. My mom was born in 1926 and dad in 1924. This subject never came up. I am so sad it occurred and can only ask for forgiveness for what happened. It was not right then, not right now, not right in the future. No excuse for the behavior. One can not un-ring a bell but we can say we are so sorry this occurred and to pass the word to my kids that bad events occurred and it is our collective shame and to prevent if from ever happening again. We bare the responsibility.

[@tigerlikeswater]

You have written something that resonates with me. Thankyou - as an Australian - I will often hear fellow Australians or read people's comments from all over the world make disparaging comments about "Americans" - ie people from the US - but from my 61 years of age perspective - there is so much about the US culture that I love - particularly music - jazz from Gershwin through to Charlie Parker - Miles - and onto Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, Prince et al. Also US political culture has given the world the wonderful speeches (ideas, insights) of Lincoln, Roosevelt and JFK. - Political movements lead by Martin Luther King - I acknowledge as does any Australian who knows something of modern history (a demonstrably declining demographic ) the US Army winning the War in the Pacific (something that was never in doubt due to the might of American Industry - the Battle of Midway fought between what? three? aircraft carriers per side of the Japanese and the US? - After that battle the US started producing 91 aircraft carriers per year) - saving Australia from Japanese invasion of at least the top half of Australia - the War cabinet had 'the Brisbane line' as the line to be defended. To apologise and take responsibility seems such a rare occurrence - particularly with politicians. Your words to me are demonstrating Corinthians 13 - something a few modern day 'Christians' could perhaps have a read of. Thankyou.

[@mho...]

as german, thats public knowledge! specially for those who have familimembers who had to flee from the red army!

[@christopherqueen3194]

A horrible end to a horrible war. In so many ways WW2 was one of the worst seasons in human history.

[@D-E-S_8559]

Absolutely-we are still experiencing intense consequences of the WW2. From Palestine/Israel to Ukraine/Russia and potentially China/Taiwan ...

[@trust_crisis]

Wait for the third season

[@angela2726]

No they are just new wars which try and justify their existence by bringing up World War 2 ideas. ​@@D-E-S_8559

[@princebonnie1357]

When one researches WW2, esp. the worst atrocities of the Eastern Front, the horrific crimes of the Japanese military in the Asia Pacific, Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, and now this documentary of the despicable treatment of German women by the Allied soldiers; all of this and more leads me on to these conclusions. ~ The Apocalyse of Humankind. ~~ We live in a post-apocalyptic age. ~~~ The human psyche is permanently damaged by this war and its aftermath ~~~ 😢

[@4thought___]

​, exactly: China is more organised and brutal than the Soviets were.

[@MB-vu3ow]

Nothing new here, unless you are young. History has been decimated from the educational system for decades.

[@JesseJoyce-cj2xg]

Some of us young people are autodidacts.

[@phil20_20]

History has always been mixed with propaganda.

[@alexsupremewolf]

Decimated lol

[@miapdx503]

​@@JesseJoyce-cj2xgYes, I realized early in life that unless I became autodidactic I would not get an education. I finished the ninth grade before thrown into the streets by my sadistic father. I was always reading. I always had at least one book on me. Later, I would go to the university or college and take entrance exams. I always passed with high marks. Never stopped reading or learning. What passes as education in our country is almost laughable. Almost. It's really more pathetic. A weird telling of lies and fairy tales...history. I don't think so. Unless the Vatican gives up all the miles of books that they hoard and hide, the truth will always be elusive.

[@LauraAllen-nm9ws]

Despite the opening warning message, I can only bear to watch this documentary in short segments. It's just too intense and painful to watch all at once. I'm grateful to the documentary film makers and especially to the victims for recording this historical document. For the sake of those who lived through this horror, we owe them our attention, even if it's for a few minutes at a time.

[@deshaun9473]

May we never forget these crimes, and work to end it once and for all.

[@billf4186]

And yet the same evil is being perpetrated in Ukraine today 😢

[@LauraAllen-nm9ws]

@@billf4186 True. The crimes against Ukrainians are current and horrific. Thank you for that reminder.

[@philipperv]

It's easy to psychoanalyze this 80 years later but what do you think would happen after Nazi troops massacred and raped their way through most of Eastern Europe and Russia? Forgive and forget?

[@realDanielAugustine]

This is only scratching the surface.

[@em945]

How horrible. No wonder this species seems to be so traumatised. Bless us all.

[@mho...]

Futurama put it best: "a planet inhabited by psychotic monkeys"

[@OM617a]

During the war there was a saying in France, 'When the Germans came we hid the men, when the Americans came we hid the women'. The allied appetite for the SA of women and children has been well known but not spoken about.

[@jwhiskey242]

Oh bullshit.

[@TirzaNL]

It happens in every war. By all sides. Denying that means you use rape for your own political goals.

[@markc1234golf]

five eyes... the anglo american alliance for world dominion

[@vladddtfan]

but Soviet was something else, and the former East Prussia it was also mass murder and torture of entire families…

[@Liztastaney7]

N they complain about Japanese

[@OfficialRedDirtNurse]

Then, when they go home to their wives and families, people thank them for their service. It's a travesty.

[@s.m.tanvir7580]

My thought exactly! It's so disgusting how people glorify army and wars, especially in 'civilized' countries.

[@Sealight007]

War is hell. You don't want hell ? don't go to war. But then war will come to you. Catch 22.

[@user-kpkxgtj]

I believe most people who parrot those thanks are blissfully unaware of soldiers' conduct in conflict zones.

[@joeshithragman3264]

@@user-kpkxgtj Just be glad those soldiers won the war, otherwise the video story would be about you.

[@hannahward4703]

NEVER thank someone for killing another living being.

[@tarikmehmedika2754]

As a man i am so disgusted at this. No matter what anyone has done, prison or their guilt are the biggest punishment. But the issue is that i belive most of these victims were completly innocent. No one deserves this, no matter if they did a crime or not. I am so sorry to whoever was humiliated by this. But this was not the last war this was done, it is done even today. May God punish those who have done such horrible deeds.

[@felixthecat2786]

It seems like most victims of these wars are the innocent, yet we continue to create them.

[@asinh1100]

That’s nature

[@jonnylumberjack6223]

@@asinh1100 What an incredibly dark and non empathetic response. Do you think your mother thinks the same way?

[@virginiab7895]

I think you mean to say *ALL* of these victims were completely innocent, because they were *victims.*

[@gizmomac1520]

​@@asinh1100 I agree, but as humans we have a higher level of conscience and intelligence against other mammals. But sadly, these people are cruel.

[@astroemerald3175]

Telling that none of perpetrators of these vile crimes were ever tried as War criminals - not one .

[@GhostSal]

That’s because it was too many and too far reaching. This happens in basically every single war.

[@Watcher1852]

HOW TRUE AND HOW SAD THAT THIS STILL GOES ON TO THIS DAY, JUST WHAT KIND OF HUMANS ARE WE

[@sarapiper385]

Also, don’t forget the Japanese did it as well

[@user-og2wt3le4j]

and the Chinese.

[@JitzyJT]

@@user-og2wt3le4j and the Koreans

[@bryedtan]

Every major conflict seems to have this tragic circumstance but the fact almost everyone in both sides.

[@user-pn3im5sm7k]

That's a lie. We call that atrocity propaganda. The CCP is famous for lying, infact the famous event in Dec 1937 was never mentioned anywhere, including in the Tokyo trials, until after 1946. 9 years later. Furthermore the math would make it impossible. 300K in a city of 175K or less? Doesn't add up. Look up the Gegenmiao massacre, something that actually happened.

[@xEvan117x]

@@user-og2wt3le4j…no how bout go ask a bunch of the Chinese women children old people what they thought of the Japanese invaders and if they shouldntve dropped the bombs and just let them keep staying over in china.

[@pmmsfc]

Hate and Horror cames hand by hand

[@lopamudraray4571]

Women were always considered as spoils of war.....have things changed ???

[@nedludd7622]

The Torah not only describes it, but approves of it.

[@douglascampbell4993]

@@nedludd7622 you spelled Koran wrong..

[@pachuaustephen3488]

@@douglascampbell4993 two different book

[@user-og2wt3le4j]

I have heard stories of troops in recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. There are even stories of female troops getting raped by allied soldiers in their own camps.

[@divinebynature7056]

The Bible's Old Testament and the books that were removed say the same thing.

[@naturalyogi]

When doesn't this happen in war? War is fucking terrible, it brings out the worst in humanity.

[@immerdienstags5853]

Rape happens anytime. And the reasons are different. But it is always a question of power and picturing women and children as property of men or a nation.

[@PatGilliland]

A difficult but necessary film. War is the crime.

[@felixthecat2786]

This is a sad and brutal forgotten aspect of WW2, it's good to see a documentary about it

[@fromfreddd8636]

This is “aspect” of any war! It happened in mass scale during October 7th 2023 Hamas terror attack, it is happening in Ukraine, it’s happening anywhere where “right” is defined by a gun.

[@sbentler6830]

The lesson is… don’t start a war… the trauma is generational. Where conquering armies go, there are bands of brutalized men who have been taught to deny all civility to succeed. Germans armies perpetrated in Russia and Ukraine. Russians, Allies perpetrated in Germany. Build peace, build women who will not send their sons to war. End war, build the future we all desire.

[@inglestherightway]

It's no wonder the level of generation and ancestral trauma pretty much all of freaking us carry to this day and the level of ptsd our grandparents had to live with and mostly passed on to us. Back then, and still today, but to an astoundingly high degree, people were either commiting atrocities agains each other or reacting poorly and making matters even worse for themselves, like the girls who jumped out of a window and injured themselves, or the mothers and stepfathers who projected blame and shame onto their own children. The dark ages of emotional and psychological health is what I'd call ours and our forefather's times.

[@dankehret7016]

My mother fled from baden to minnesota shortly after the war ended. I found this very interesting and consider myself and my siblings very fortunate that she was able to take care of herself through that difficult period of time.

[@96_13.]

As it said in the UN "it didn't happen in a vacuum, there's a context"

[@erinerinerinOOO]

@@96_13.what are you implying?

[@96_13.]

@@erinerinerinOOO what are you implying?

[@deebieb7656]

The terrible part is that these atrocities still happen to women today anywhere there is a conflict(war) and still a blind eye is turned away from the suffering of women

[@Hunakh489]

Omg, i thought they would never talk about it, i was horrified after reading ' A woman in Berlin'. Absolutely evil.

[@aryandefenseleague8243]

It’s antisemitic to talk about it

[@kaleidoscopingwe]

​@@aryandefenseleague8243 bull.

[@OkoZungu]

I feel the pain and fear and shame that all these women must have felt, and hope such things will never happen again.

[@JitzyJT]

lol.....take a look at all the women prisoners who were rescued from the hands of hamas militants.....

[@divinebynature7056]

That would be wonderful. Women have been victims during conflict since BCE. Thousands of years of violence against females.

[@CivicPetunia]

They are happening in Ukraine.

[@jonnylumberjack6223]

They happen in war zones everywhere, always.

[@ajacobs100]

This will happen x1000 in the tribulation.

[@CommonSenseRevolution]

Heart-wrenching documentary was a good watch and a learning experience. I was born of parents whose families fled the war & even though I was not yet born at the time, the 'memory' of WW2 was strong in my life and I actively sought to research its history. I only wish younger generations of today would also be so agrressive into digging into its history, for there is ALOT for humanity to learn from this horrible war & how it ripped an entire continent to pieces.

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@ravenblack7052]

And yet still blind to what's unfolding in Gaza with the direct complicity of Europe! A tragedy born of the evils of Europe! Poster child of cognitive dissonance!

[@CommonSenseRevolution]

@@ravenblack7052 While I personally am NOT oblivious to the carnage in Gaza today by any means, it doesn't even compare to the 20+ MILLION humans who lost their lives in World War II. Perhaps we might agree on one thing: butchering human lives whether it's only a few, thousands, or millions is wrong on so many levels and human beings should learn to get along and unite before we eradicate our existence from this planet via wars or pollution/climate-change.

[@Geense2525]

15:50 this a haunting image. She is in a lot of physical and emotional pain. I hope whoever is recording her brought her to safety.

[@Maximiliano896]

We need to talk about this more. Ppl should know this

[@mho...]

we germans know!

[@frankcalloway4640]

Im so happy they covered this terrible moment in history. It doesn’t get enough light

[@justanamerican9024]

When have women NOT been a spoil of war?!

[@greendeane1]

Taboo subject? It's been part of war since the dawn of time.

[@anamaria-db7pq]

it's a taboo for the victims and the german society...it was not an upbrought topic after WW2

[@lelz0394]

It's taboo here if you ask your grandparents 😊

[@suzystone244]

💯

[@user-kpkxgtj]

Maybe my English is bad but "taboo subject" doesn't mean it isn't done, it means people don't like to talk about it.

[@daydays12]

indeed.....w a r ...

[@psychkick666]

war battles on youtube always have someone saying their grandpa fought in the war, but none talked about their grandpa raping

[@zschow9259]

my grampa never told me about that/

[@asterixdogmatix1073]

I doubt my Grandpa was doing much raping in a Japanese forced labour camp. Not starving to death, or dying of disease, not being executed summarily, or collapsing from exhaustion was probably more on his mind.

[@juhtuhb1]

You will never read this in American history books, never hear this in an American history lesson. The winner dictates the narrative.

[@xEvan117x]

Watch “come and see”

[@juhtuhb1]

@@xEvan117x How does Watch and See relate to my statement?

[@flopunkt3665]

You certainly won't read about this in Russian history books either.

[@shadowdraqon2479]

“Pirates are evil? Marines are righteous? These terms have always changed throughout the course of history. Kids who have never seen peace and kids who have never seen war have different values. Those who stand at the top determine whats wrong and whats right. This very place is a neutral ground! Justice will prevail you say? But of course it will! Those who win the war become the justice!” -Dofflamingo

[@arkaz5879]

@@shadowdraqon2479 wasn’t he slave owner?

[@deshaun9473]

I'm so glad this is being talked about. May we work to end this atrocity once and for all.

[@georgewolfiii1170]

I am an American. In 1976, I worked with an older man who was in his early 50s. He said that he was in the Battle of the Bulge, and there were 33 German soldiers in a French church. They came out with their hands up and surrendered. Then the Americans marched them down a dirt road, where all of the German soldiers were machine-gunned to death. This was extremely common!

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Tragic treatment-my heart breaks for the victims, and for the resultant children that should have been treated better too.

[@shishi1527]

Who makes one of the best documentaries, if not the best? DW

[@DWDocumentary]

Thank you for your comment!

[@ravenblack7052]

​@@DWDocumentaryAre you? I seriously doubt that DW produced this documentary. You're not known producers. You acquire annual rights to these pieces, and flight them. So basically, you've colonized it for a year! The good thing I suppose, is that you're paying for it and not simply looting as per norm!

[@fabiocf3708]

​@@ravenblack7052colonized it, lol. Not purchased and made the most of it.

[@mho...]

ARTE ! beats em all!

[@suavevalen]

The film A Woman in Berlin does an excellent and terrifying job of dramatizing abhorrent crimes like those described here. It is a sanitized version in my opinion, because the level of horror and despair cannot truly be captured in a film.

[@JitzyJT]

as if the nazis were gentlemen

[@xEvan117x]

So is “Come and See” talks about the millions of horrible crimes against women children older people EVERYone of the poor russian/slavs that the germans invaded, graped, burnt etc comparable to what Japanese did to the Chinese.. sad

[@thefastandthedead1769]

@@JitzyJT Two wrongs are both crimes.

[@Nehmi]

Sanitized in that it leaves out her complicity in genocide.

[@yuryrossi]

I know the story from the other side. Red Army soldiers who were moving and liberating USSR and Eastern Europe territory witnessed concentration camps, burned villages and murdered or enslaved people. They all were full of revenge. However, many acts of terror against women and children were wild and full of hate, horrifying. Especially in Eastern Prussia, first German territory soldiers entered.

[@carolcaris2149]

I live in the US and I had never heard of this happening. It is unforgivable for any allies (or anyone else) to do this to women and children. My father served in the US Airforce during WWII and never talked about it when he returned. I pray God grant the remaining survivors peace and those who have passed, the glory of heaven.No one should be shamed for a lifetime because of war.

[@QueenOfSleeping]

Thank you for this documentary

[@ReasonsToComment-ic2cc]

You can see in the last photos taken of Hitler that he knew what a dire situation was about to happen.

[@lindatullos9430]

Of course he knew, after all his side was doing it too.

[@artawhirler]

Yes, and he knew there was no point sticking around to see it.

[@peterhumphrys]

Well if you won't talk about the issue of war grapes we will never be able to make some progress in addressing these crimes. Thank you for covering this historical reality that still continues

[@f-xdemers2825]

It's no excuse but German did the same and worse to Polish, Russian, French and Jewish women. War is horror.

[@kaa7728]

Nato troops are worse

[@ng1841]

It's no excuse so what German troops did shouldn't be brought up in comparison. And the victims here had nothing to do with the atrocities committed by German troops

[@adriannespring8598]

And those groups did obscene things on the same level. No difference.

[@user-ib2no1kr5v]

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord

[@itorca]

Geneva suggestion

[@phlezktravels]

Thanks for making this.

[@kyleklukas4808]

I'm a refugee from East Prussia. I'm in Canada. Many won't admit it .

[@billthecat129]

My father in law and his family were from Prussia and came to Canada in 47 as refugees

[@kyleklukas4808]

@@billthecat129 My father had to do six years in a Polish child labour camp . Before the y shipped him off to Canada, to a child labour camp .

[@elenivargis126]

Women & children always pays the worst price in any war :(

[@ryanreedgibson]

Thank you for talking about this. I always thought America troops never did anything like this during WW2 until I started researching a script two months ago. Personally, I believe it's worse crime one can ever commit even above murder.

[@user-mr1wn9ke8b]

Can you do a documentary on David Mcbride? He’s currently facing life in prison for reporting war crimes in the Australian army, and the federal judges have stated “there’s no excuse for exposing those crimes”, meanwhile soldiers that have been proven in court that they committed war crimes (Ben Robert smith), get to walk freely in society.

[@serge7530]

It really shames me as a man the pain that so many women have endured in history because of the decisions of few individuals, it breaks my heart every time I see the footage of the raped German woman now sadly historical reference for this subject. I could not live with myself if I were accused of rapist, that's one of the most outrageous crimes of humanity. May God bless us all in these final times..

[@judyfifield6941]

Rape is the tool of most wars. History bares this out. Current history included.

[@brianmaitai7685]

Apparently not all people share your remorse...Like Republicans voting for the Chief Groper Donnie "Trump.

[@phaedrussmith1949]

Doesn't sound like it was just "a few individuals."

[@dianecrow6068]

The Germans made their choices as a nation.

[@serge7530]

​@phaedrussmith1949 By a few individuals I mean the leaders of each country and the armies involved. Thanks for reading my opinions

[@maritaberndt6200]

My grandmother, my father's mother, took what she could carry and her 3 little boys and walked away from her home, from everything and ended up in a refugee camp for women and children in north Germany. She never spoke about her experiences.

[@winstonoboogie2424]

I'm glad they're talking about this but the dramatization is drowning out the facts.

[@chrisbrass8930]

The sad reality is that war brings chaos and ruin to everyone, and the ones most responsible for it more often than not will never see justice.

[@luxiligan9710]

This is pretty interesting, never knew this happened after war ended. Thanks for shedding some light into this side of history.

[@AfricanTravellerChannel]

Pretty interesting????

[@gaydolfhitler6310]

The germans never talk about themselves as victims when it comes to ww2

[@ShellyBellyBeans]

Rape is unfortunately usually a part of war.

[@ev.c6]

There is a book called Woman in Berlin that records this quite well. Highly recommended.

[@brianmaitai7685]

After and before the American civil war when slave masters routinely pulverized the pelvises of female black slaves.

[@xx1983xx]

Thank you for this piece. The truth is the truth. Facing it is a beginning to, hopefully, an end.

[@RangdhonuTime-cm1ow]

Thanks for sharing this ❤

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching!

[@jessiQa1776]

"There wasn't a German family that wasn't affected in some way" rape is always wrong... Acting like you don't smell bodies burning half a mile up the street is wrong too... Unfortunately these two things don't make a right.

[@everlynevins]

What angers me as well is the way the children were treated. They are innocent. I do understand the reactions some family members had towards them. But treating a child on the same level as the demons who violated and impregnated women, it's awful. You don't have to love the child, or want them in your life. You don't even have to accept them. But, it's still not their fault they exist. It's not their birth mother's fault either. The brother of the one gentleman directed his anger at the wrong person who simply wanted to know who he is.

[@asterixdogmatix1073]

Its happened for thousands of years (very likely even older). Very hard to change human nature.

[@susanrhein7546]

What saddens me is that nothing has changed. Sexual assault continues in every country on the planet. Women are shamed and perpetrators are not held accountable.

[@mauricetremblay1324]

It is a fact that nothing g good ever comes of war. All my love to those affected. Stay strong.

[@Jamem30]

If you are a westerner not living under fascism, you are living proof that not only evil can come from the abomination that is war. You have the opportunity to live a human life. Make good use of it.

[@surayetumedia6553]

In Kenya, the Kikuyu tribe has light skin people especially those who lived around Nairobi. It is as a result of the unholy union between the British army of the 1950s and the woman of Kikuyu whose husbands were fighting the MAU MAU liberation war.

[@D-E-S_8559]

@DW Documentary if you really want to explore "taboo topics" then please make a documentary on the spread of the 1935 Nuremberg Laws across Europe, and how those laws cause untold suffering to Palestine today...

[@Nico-jt4jd]

💔

[@jozews]

Basically all of Latin America

[@user-cp7zk9ll3n]

Stalin endorsed such behavior but US and UK and allied soldiers were strongly discouraged from such behavior though sadly those who did were seldom punished. As a chaplain I find it highly offensive and I hope many intervened in such disgusting behavior.

[@wingatebarraclough3553]

True. It was primarily central Asians of the red army who were the worst, and, coincidentally, Emmet Tills father was hanged for rape in Italy

[@goldsteinist]

My Hungarian grandmother said the same. Both German units and soviet units systematically raped women and girls and boys too. Even animals were raped she said. 💔😿 She never talked about her tragic turn on those days but I could always see the pain in her eyes when she rarely dropped few words of the war. Women are just as victims of war as veterans yet until this day denial follows war crime investigations when it comes to sexual war. Try to convince me it is not the result of patriarchy...

[@CosmicSphere46]

I couldnt watch the movie "The Northman" because they were dragging women through the town this way. And as women we are CONSTANTLY reminded some men would do this, they are, or will. You never know who. And if you are a woman in a disadvantage circumstance its the first thing you fear. There is something deeply deeply wrong with humanity if people are making these decisions. Protect your children from men. I personally know several women who were molested by their christian conservative fathers. This is pervasive in every culture, religion, and country. Nothing stops them there has to be harsher punishments. Maybe it's an education problem and men are unable to have self control. You have to wonder why or do they refuse.

[@JaceFalcon]

Demonizing all men. Don't talk anymore.

[@ShellyBellyBeans]

Yeah, just read through the comments to see that there are still some men like that today. They either support it or excuse it. It will never stop.

[@walungamaandrewkiyingi3780]

Stop yo stereotypical assumptions....if the men in yo life hurt you, don't smirk the rest of us with your guilt...

[@JesseJoyce-cj2xg]

There are also many men and boys who have experienced the same… I would divide humanity by those who are good, and those who are capable of such things. Don’t group all men in with the evil ones, please.

[@CR-rm4iy]

they got that for supporting the nazis

[@Petermc95]

Very sad and informative documentary thank you I had know idea this happened

[@wingatebarraclough3553]

"Zoomer Historian " is a good channel, too

[@kaleidoscopingwe]

Still happens. In every war. after every war. and without any war.

[@pantofliaras]

It would be very important to add the patterns of sexual violence committed by the Axis as well.

[@eddyjohan8650]

Veterans wouldn't talk about the war not just because of the things happened on the battlefield, but also what happened off the battlefield. It's about thing they saw or what their mates done. War made men go mad. But a crime is still a crime, no matter what is the excuse.

[@angrydoggy9170]

With decent discipline, most atrocities can be prevented.

[@kaleidoscopingwe]

There is no excuse.

[@chin9888]

Vielen Dank für diesen Beitrag! Wenn man sich diesem massiven Trauma bewußt wird, wird einem auch verständliche, warum Deutsche heute so ein ängsliches Volk sind. Mein tiefstes Mitgefühl geht an alle, die betroffen sind, insbesondere die Kinder.

[@HonestRef]

The Soviets were just as bad if not worse than the Nazis

[@KM-jf9ws]

This was a disgrace and good to document. I have not seen the full documentary yet and only 10 mins in (disclaimer) however I would hope that it also captures the fact that it was Nazi Germany that opened the door to the inhumanity and atrocities on the Eastern Front by declaring essentially the war against the USSR as one of complete anihilation with no rules whatsoever with all peoples in the East to be subhuman, for elimination or death by slave labour exploitation. In some ways, inhumane and inexcusable what the Soviets did, it was payback in same currency. May we never experience such regimes ever again

[@wingatebarraclough3553]

Make sure you read Suvarov, and Whittaker Chambers "Witness".

[@KM-jf9ws]

@@wingatebarraclough3553 Thanks, noted. I have read quite a few books on Eastern Front, though Vasili Grossman's Love and Fate (banned for decades in USSR) is the most vivid depiction of all the horrors there

[@harrisdizdarevic5797]

How many women have died by the time Germany decided to document this injustice?

[@jasondiggs6740]

Injustice? It's sad that this happened to the German women, but how many millions of women were brutalized by the Germans?

[@menablubb442]

@@jasondiggs6740 And that makes it any better or more justified? Horrible view on things. Think about it before you comment again.

[@jasondiggs6740]

@@menablubb442 Read my comment. Did I ever condone what was happening to these women. What did you think was going to happen when Germany wrecked Europe? This is what happens to people who repeat the horrors of history.

[@jonnylumberjack6223]

What is your point, exactly?

[@tovojolo1977]

@DW For every war crime committed by the Allies, you German committed ten. Where are your videos about your war crimes?

[@roguetrader303]

This is terrible and it will never end.

[@blackelk4783]

Why should we be surprised,or horrified be rape during and after war ? It has been this way as long as has been war . My wife was a child from a Filipina and a us air man . And while it affected her , I couldn't have loved her more.

[@Mr--_--M]

This subject NEVER gets talked about. Guaranteed during and after every war conflict, grape happens. Can have the utmost hatred for the enemy and have the most justified reason for fighting, but grape?.......it's allowed

[@user-og2wt3le4j]

I find it interesting that U.S. Army penalties for rape while training in England were death by hanging. Of course that was because troops were training on allied soil. However when the end of war was near in Germany it was openly allowed. Even years after liberations American troops committed these acts.

[@nataliaalfonso2662]

Grape happens every day, everywhere. 90% of victims can’t even process it’s what is happening to them.

[@varp4557]

why are u saying grape?

[@grabetuba8610]

​@@varp4557 youtube censorship

[@Mr--_--M]

@@varp4557 Cuz the KZbin algorithm has sensitive ears if you spell shocking words or topics correctly

[@corujariousa]

This video addresses this horrible crime at the time of WW2. Unfortunately, this still happens today in many places around the world. We are cavemen with technology. Our intellect has increased but our nature is still primitive.

[@brucerawson5665]

The referenced documentary Liberators take Liberties is worthwhile and more comprehensive.

[@blessingndlovu9037]

Wow, this is shocking!

[@kennethvenezia4400]

Very sad😢 The part of another war that takes place after the war by one group of damaged individuals upon another group of damaged individuals. Now in 2024, it looks like the world wants to do it again.

[@haji1740]

Such a heavy fate to endure and overcome. Cruelty.

[@tindrums]

War and its consequences are not for the faint hearted

[@shahznaveed]

This documentary is more horrific to watch than a horror movie

[@youme1414]

The question now. Have we learnt a lesson from history? We should learn to avoid world war by all means.

[@JitzyJT]

Europe is what it is today because of the wars.......

[@metamorphicme9378]

At this rate, they seem to be courting WW3.😢

[@jatin9070]

​@@JitzyJTEU, USA,Russia , China,France ,UK and Israel are doing their best to start a world war.