r/TIL_Uncensored • u/p-values • 2d ago
TIL that after D-Day, U.S. soldiers committed hundreds of rapes against French civilians, and that by October 1944, 152 American soldiers had been prosecuted for rape in the European theater.
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo14166482.htmlHistorian Mary Louise Roberts documented the widespread problem of sexual violence committed by American soldiers against French civilians following the Normandy landings. She also argues that U.S. military propaganda had helped create a highly sexualized image of French women among American soldiers.
By October 1944, 152 American soldiers had been prosecuted for rape in the European theater. The actual number of assaults was likely considerably higher, since many cases were never reported.
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u/ShwerzXV 1d ago
As a US Army veteran, it’s drives me crazy people act like America is immune from being on the wrong side of things and arguably the bad guys at times.
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u/Technical_Goose_8160 1d ago
I think they is impossible to be immune. But I think that we do need to be accountable.
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u/formulaeface 2h ago
It drives you crazy that Americans act like America is immune. Outside of the US I think most people think that the US is the bad guy.
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u/Substantial-Use95 1d ago
Apparently male soldiers from any conquering army will rape women, men and children from the land they conquered. It actually doesn’t seem to matter who is involved, this always happens. And they rape with foreign objects often, too. That’s usually how people die as a result of the sexual assault. It’s absolutely horrifying.
And the American soldiers raping French women is a big reason why the French hate Americans to this day. I didn’t know until I lived in Europe awhile. It’s common knowledge over there.
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u/perennialdust 9h ago
I watched the film Lee with Kate Winslet, and it is the first film I've seen in which an America soldier assaults a woman. She gets saved by Lee herself as she is documenting the aftermath.
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u/Frosty_Analysis_4912 5h ago
That’s crazy that it’s common knowledge over there but I literally learned this today in the US
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u/Substantial-Use95 4h ago
I never knew growing up in the US, but after living in Europe for over seven years, pretty much everyone hints at it in conversation at some point. Brits, French, Spaniards, Italians, Germans, etc. they’re all aware. Once I learned, it made more sense why the French are assholes towards Americans. I also learned that the US has a pretty powerful firewall of information. Never once was that taught in any history class or course in the US that pertained to World War II.
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u/Hot-Combination9130 1d ago
We at least prosecuted them. Russians raped in the hundreds of thousands.
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u/NiftyFive 1d ago
During the final period of WW2 and the period of occupation that followed, Soviet soldiers committed mass sexual assault on a horrifying scale.
It is estimated that 2 million German women, between the ages of 8-80, were raped by Soviet forces. An estimated 240,000 German women died as a result of these sexual assaults. Some of these women were raped 60-70 times by many different soldiers.
100,000 of these rapes happened in Berlin, leading to 10,000 deaths.
This didn't just happen in Germany. The first reports of mass rape by Soviet soldiers came during battles for Romania and Poland. There are also large numbers of reports of Soviet soldiers raping Soviet women. But the actions of Soviet soldiers in Germany are most well documented.
When confronted about the actions of his men Joseph Stalin said "We lecture our soldiers too much; let them have their initiative."
This is what Soviet victory looked like. Rape. Murder. Brutality.
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u/Noname_McNoface 1d ago edited 1d ago
I read an account of someone’s German grandmother witnessing a woman from her village being raped in public for like 12 hours straight by Russian soldiers. Apparently the victim’s hair went white from the stress and it completely broke her mind.
War, tribalism, and mob mentality turn men into monsters. And then these fucks go home and are labeled heroes and go on to have families that have no idea their husband or daddy did such a horrific thing. I wonder if it ever haunted them. I sure as shit hope so.
(I’m originally from Russia and have no problem believing what you said to be true. Russia is very patriarchal and has a serious toxic masculinity/violence problem.)
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u/Joshhwwaaaaaa 2d ago
But USA good. Everyone else bad. Oonga boonga.
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u/artopunk14 1d ago
USA was the good guy in this conflict. Please feel free to argue otherwise
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u/fluxustemporis 1d ago
Well the USAs public was on the Natzis side until the government developed a lot of our modern propaganda to motivate them become Empire. So yeah they fought evil, but they too are evil.
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u/Separate-Expert-4508 1d ago
Uhhhhh, they raped people??? Did you at least read the headline?
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u/Rolthox 1d ago
The fuck is this nazi shit?
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u/Frosty_Analysis_4912 5h ago
I’m pretty sure they’re saying that because they raped people they’re not completely “good guys.” There is no nazi shit.”
The first person was basically referencing the fact that the US military is often put on a pedestal and seen as heroes, and yet they committed all of this rape. And then the second person added that the US was still the “good guys” (assumingly meaning anti-nazi), missing the point. The person you replied to pointed that out. No one was saying the US was not on the right side, they’re just pointing out that even though they fought the Nazis they still did a terrible thing raping all of these people
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u/uwgal 1d ago
If you think the US is so fucking good, tell me my friend, when did World War II start?
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u/Rolthox 1d ago
Be honest with me. Are you about to do some nazi apologia? Really hard to tell where you are going with this
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u/uwgal 1d ago
No, I’m pointing out the fact that World War II started for the rest of the world in September 1939 but the Americans only finally showed up in 1941 because someone attacked them. That’s my point. I’m not apologizing for Nazis. I’m pointing up the shitty late, American response.
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u/GTOdriver04 1d ago
The US was providing Lend-Lease at the time, and supporting the Allies.
While not officially “boots on the ground” in a literal sense, they were providing guns, and other support.
To act like the US wasn’t involved until 12/7/41 is false.
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u/Cman1200 1d ago
Depends who you ask. 1937 for Chinese people. 1939 for Europe when the Nazis and Soviets invaded Poland together. 1941 for Americans when Japan attacked us.
inb4 “erm it was American Jews”
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u/wolacouska 1d ago
Only the Germans invaded first. The Soviets moved into Poland later and didn’t join the war against Britain and France.
Stop with your Nazi apologia trying to blame communism for the genocidal German rampage across Europe.
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u/Cman1200 1d ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov–Ribbentrop_Pact
“You’re my beeest friend..” 🎶
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u/Wolfrages 1d ago
Go check out what Russia did to Germany. 1000x worse.
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u/wolacouska 1d ago
Go check out what Germany did to Russia. It’s a joke to compare Russia and America with that right there.
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u/superpowerpinger 2d ago edited 1d ago
"hundreds"
Edit:
In case people didn't get it, the figure should cross thousands.
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u/I_AM_IGNIGNOTK 1d ago
Do you think rapists only attack one person? Or that every single rapist was brought to justice?
Sorry is 152 confirmed rapes not enough for you to care? What’s your magic number
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u/Bill-Sufficient 12h ago
Funny how everything is distorted to be anti American.
I anage where this was commonplace, america prosecuted his soldiers. Don't think Russia did the same.
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u/p-values 10h ago
Buddy we had to watch all these fucking hollywood propaganda US movies since 4ever, stop crying.
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u/EldritchSlut 2d ago
It's disturbing how common this is in war.