How were German Civilians treated by Allied soldiers during and after the World War ll

How were German Civilians treated by Allied soldiers during and after the World War ll

The treatment of civilians ran the gamut from excellent to terrible. When the Soviets invaded German territory ending with the conquest of Berlin, it is believed they raped up to two million German women. Old women and children were not exempt. One pregnant woman was raped on the delivery table at a hospital. One communist woman, who had hidden herself in Berlin for years, came out of hiding following the appearance of Red Army soldiers only to be gang-raped by them. The Soviet command turned a blind eye to it all and many officers were complicit. Other Allied soldiers (US, Britain and France) also committed rape but were prosecuted if caught so the numbers of those raped in their sectors were minuscule in comparison.

Berlin 1945. Over 100,000 German women were raped in the city. Some were killed by their attackers while thousands committed suicide.

Germans that came under the control of the Western allies were treated fairly well. In fact, so well in comparison to the Soviets that German civilians and soldiers fled to the west so they could be captured by the Western allies. At least one German army unit defending against the Soviets was disbanded by its commander and told to make their way to American lines to surrender. There were some incidents of tension between Allied troops and German civilians, especially immediately after combat, but for the most part the Germans were fairly disciplined. Of course, despite non-fraternization rules, it didn’t take long before Allied soldiers and German women were mixing. Initially, many women traded sex for food but as conditions got better romantic relationships developed. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of German women eventually moved to the US and UK as war brides (at least 200,000 from all of Europe to the US alone).

I highly recommend the book, “The Fall of Berlin 1945,” by Antony Beevor if you want to know more about what German civilians went through. Cornelius Ryan’s “The Last Battle” is also a great read (he also authored “The Longest Day” and “A Bridge Too Far”).

Note: I have received numerous comments regarding German behavior in their occupation of the Soviet Union. I am in total agreement that the Germans were worse in most aspects and that many Soviet soldiers were seeking revenge. My answer was not meant to take one side or the other but to simply address the question which specifies the treatment of German civilians.