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 ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary. Subscribe to: ⮞ DW Documentary (English):    / dwdocumentary   ⮞ DW Documental (Spanish):    / dwdocumental   ⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic):    / dwdocarabia   ⮞ DW Doku (German):    / dwdoku   ⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi):    / dwdochindi   For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610 Follow DW Documentary on Instagram:   / dwdocumentary   Follow DW Documental on Facebook:   / dwdocumental   We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G