As the Allies gained control over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944 and 1945, German soldiers were not the only casualties. While sexual violence against German civilians was committed by all Allied powers, the Soviet rapes are considered the most prevalent and severe. During the Second World War, it was common for both German women and women living in German occupied zones to enter into negotiated relationships of exchange, wherein sex was traded for protection and provision. No longer limited to the sphere of feminist activism, discussion of the 1945 rapes became a matter of public interest. Countless German women and girls suffered deeply during the last months of the Second World War.

Source: National Post May 08, 2018 13:07 UTC