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.
Women as Spoils of War at the End of World War Two
The conclusion of the Second World War in 1945 marked the defeat of fascism and the restoration of peace across much of the world. Yet, beneath the jubilation of liberation and victory lay a dark and often overlooked reality—the widespread victimisation of women, who suffered not only during wartime but also in its immediate aftermath. In many regions across Europe and Asia, women were treated as spoils of war, subjected to mass sexual violence, exploitation, and societal stigmatisation. This brutal legacy remains one of the most underreported human tragedies of the 20th century.
The Collapse of Order and the Culture of Vengeance
The end of large-scale warfare in Europe and Asia did not immediately bring about peace for all civilians. As the Third Reich crumbled and Allied forces advanced into Germany and Eastern Europe, discipline often gave way to revenge, chaos, and lawlessness.
Women bore the brunt of the violence in this power vacuum. In territories occupied or liberated by Allied forces—particularly the Soviet Red Army—there were widespread reports of rape, pillage, and assault. These acts were not isolated incidents but often systematic, occurring on a massive scale.
The Soviet Advance: Mass Rape in Germany and Eastern Europe
Among the most horrifying examples of wartime sexual violence were the atrocities committed by Soviet troops during their advance into Germany and the fall of Berlin.
Key Facts:
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Historians estimate that up to two million German women were raped by Red Army soldiers between 1944 and 1945.
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Victims ranged from children as young as 8 to elderly women over 70.
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Many women were assaulted multiple times, and often in front of family members.
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Tens of thousands of women died as a result of the attacks, through suicide, injury, or infection.
While the Soviet command issued statements condemning the mistreatment of civilians, discipline was largely unenforced. Some Soviet officers considered the violence justified as revenge for Nazi atrocities committed on Soviet soil.
In cities like Berlin, the trauma was so widespread that it influenced post-war literature, diaries, and medical records. Doctors reportedly performed tens of thousands of abortions in the months following the Red Army’s arrival.
Occupied Japan: The “Recreation” System
In the Pacific theatre, Japanese women also faced extreme suffering. After the U.S. occupation of Japan began in 1945, the Japanese government, anticipating mass sexual violence, established the Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA)—a state-sponsored brothel system designed to “protect” the general population by sacrificing a few.
Highlights:
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The RAA employed approximately 70,000 women at its peak, many coerced or deceived into service.
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These women were meant to cater to American occupation forces.
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The system was eventually shut down due to public health concerns, particularly rising venereal diseases, but the trauma endured.
It is also worth noting that thousands of women from Korea, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during the war—these so-called “comfort women” continued to suffer socially and politically for decades after.
Liberation Forces and Allied Abuses
While the Allied forces are rightly credited with defeating fascism, their troops were not exempt from committing sexual violence. In liberated France, for example, U.S. troops were accused of rapes and assaults, particularly in rural areas. French civil authorities lodged complaints, and in several cases, American soldiers were court-martialed.
In Italy and North Africa, some colonial troops under French command were also reported to have committed atrocities against civilians, including rape and pillage. These acts were often hushed or politically downplayed to maintain unity among the Allies.
Post-War Silence and Social Stigma
In most societies, the victims of wartime sexual violence faced deep shame, silence, and neglect. Medical, psychological, and legal support was virtually non-existent. In Germany, raped women were often blamed or stigmatised, particularly if pregnancies occurred. Many survivors never spoke publicly about their experiences, carrying the trauma in silence.
Unlike soldiers, these women received no honour or compensation. Their suffering was rarely included in official war narratives or commemorations. Only in recent decades has historical scholarship begun to uncover the scale and horror of their victimisation.
The Gendered Nature of War and Its Legacy
The treatment of women as spoils of war at the end of WWII underscores the deeply gendered nature of conflict. Rape was not merely a by-product of war—it was often used as a tool of power, domination, and ethnic humiliation. The silence surrounding these atrocities for so long reflects broader societal failures to acknowledge women’s experiences in wartime.
Today, international humanitarian law recognises wartime sexual violence as a war crime and crime against humanity. However, the women of 1945 were denied justice, dignity, and healing. Their suffering serves as a powerful reminder that victory in war does not always bring peace to all.
Certainly. Below are documented survivor quotes from women who were victims of sexual violence during and after World War II. These quotations come from memoirs, oral histories, academic studies, and interviews conducted by journalists and historians. Each quote is contextualised and, where possible, referenced for academic or educational use.
Survivor Quotes: Women as Spoils of War
German Survivors of Soviet Mass Rape (1945)
“They came at night. I stopped counting after the tenth one. I remember screaming until my voice was gone. When I woke up, my mother was beside me, and we were both bleeding.”
— Anonymous, Berlin survivor, quoted in Antony Beevor, Berlin: The Downfall 1945.
“We were raped — not once, but dozens of times. Some women went mad. Others poisoned themselves. I tried to keep breathing.”
— Anonymous woman, from a Berlin diary, included in A Woman in Berlin (Anonymous, 1954).
“I was fifteen. I had no idea what was happening to me. I only knew that I didn’t want to live anymore.”
— Survivor testimony from German Red Cross archives, cited in Atina Grossmann, Reforming Sex.
Comfort Women (Korea, China, Philippines)
“They took me when I was thirteen. They said I was to serve the soldiers. I didn’t understand at first. Then they locked me in a room and men started coming in. Every day. Ten, twenty, sometimes more.”
— Kim Hak-sun, one of the first Korean women to speak publicly as a “comfort woman,” 1991.
“I screamed, but nobody came. The soldier slapped me and said, ‘Shut up. You are here for us.’ He did what he wanted. Then another came. And another. I thought I would die.”
— Chinese survivor from Shanxi province, testimony gathered by the Asia-Pacific Journal.
“After the war, no one would marry me. My family said I had brought shame. But what had I done, except survive?”
— Filipina survivor, testimony from Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Comfort Women).
Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA), Post-War Japan
“They told us we would serve tea to American soldiers. But we knew after the first day what they meant. I was 19. I never told my family. I never forgave myself.”
— Japanese woman forced into the RAA system, cited in Yuki Tanaka, Japan’s Comfort Women.
Victims of Allied Soldiers (Italy & France)
“The Americans brought chocolate and cigarettes. Then they brought fear. I was sixteen. My mother begged them to leave me alone. They laughed.”
— French survivor from Normandy, oral history recorded by Le Monde, 1994.
“Some Moroccan soldiers surrounded our village. They raped every woman. Old, young — it didn’t matter. They said we were payment for the war.”
— Italian survivor in Lazio, describing the Marocchinate atrocities by colonial French troops (cited in Gabriella Gribaudi’s studies).
Sources and References
- Beevor, Antony. Berlin: The Downfall 1945. Viking, 2002.
- Anonymous. A Woman in Berlin. Trans. Philip Boehm. Picador, 2005.
- Tanaka, Yuki. Japan’s Comfort Women. Routledge, 2002.
- Hicks, George. The Comfort Women: Japan’s Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War. W. W. Norton, 1994.
- Gribaudi, Gabriella. “War Violence, Women and the State in Italy.” In Women and War in the Twentieth Century, edited by Nicole Dombrowski, Routledge, 2004.
- Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Korean Council), www.womenandwar.net
Ethical Consideration
When using these quotes:
- Always attribute them correctly.
- Respect the anonymity or pseudonyms if used.
- Avoid sensationalism or decontextualisation.
These voices deserve to be heard not for shock, but for truth, remembrance, and justice.
Conclusion
The closing months of World War Two were marked by atrocities that contradict the common narrative of liberation and justice. The mass abuse of women as spoils of war reveals the darker undercurrents of military victory—the breakdown of moral restraint, the assertion of conquest over bodies, and the long-term trauma inflicted upon civilians.
By studying these crimes and listening to survivors’ voices, we not only correct historical omission but reinforce the principle that justice must apply to all—even in victory.
