As an illustration of the theme of "a town without pity," this film does a fine job, but as an accurate reflection of the attitude of the Allied military authorities under occupied Germany toward their soldiers who committed rape, it presents far too white-washed a picture. According to Frederic Taylor's "Exorcising Hitler: The Occupation and Denazification of Germany," the American military cared very little about punishing American soldiers who raped German women--in fact, about punishing American soldiers who raped women in any part of Europe after D- Day. Rapes committed in Britain were punished according to the book, but it was different in Germany. It was not the norm that the military authorities brought rapists to trial with the threat of the death penalty hanging over their heads. Most received a slap on the wrist, removal back to Britain, or nothing. There was not a single execution of an Allied soldier for rape in occupied Germany.
And rape was common. Allied soldiers were not as brutal as Soviet soldiers, who were looking for revenge after the terrible atrocities committed by the Germans in the east, but attacking German women was far from unusual in the west. The Soviets had their special reasons beyond the usual macho attitude of "take advantage because you can." (Not all men, of course, not all soldiers are like this, but there always seems to be a small percentage). The Soviets had much, much more to motivate them, the terrible deeds that German soldiers had subjected their country, their women, children and old people to. They were burning to wreak revenge, to rape, torture and humiliate German women. Allied soldiers had nothing on that scale to revenge, but some of them, too, looted and raped. Read "Exorcising Hitler;" it's an eye-opener.
"Town Without Pity" leaves the impression that rape was rare and subject to severe punishment. Not true. Enough time has passed that we are probably ready to face some of the truth of what we did, as well as what the Germans and Soviets did.
And rape was common. Allied soldiers were not as brutal as Soviet soldiers, who were looking for revenge after the terrible atrocities committed by the Germans in the east, but attacking German women was far from unusual in the west. The Soviets had their special reasons beyond the usual macho attitude of "take advantage because you can." (Not all men, of course, not all soldiers are like this, but there always seems to be a small percentage). The Soviets had much, much more to motivate them, the terrible deeds that German soldiers had subjected their country, their women, children and old people to. They were burning to wreak revenge, to rape, torture and humiliate German women. Allied soldiers had nothing on that scale to revenge, but some of them, too, looted and raped. Read "Exorcising Hitler;" it's an eye-opener.
"Town Without Pity" leaves the impression that rape was rare and subject to severe punishment. Not true. Enough time has passed that we are probably ready to face some of the truth of what we did, as well as what the Germans and Soviets did.