When France was liberated from Germany in 1944, the anger in the streets was directed primarily at women who had romantic or sexual relationships with German soldiers. The French called this "horizontal cooperation." After the war, angry mobs dragged these women into squares, beat them, and shaved their heads as an insult. Approximately 20,000 women suffered such brutal and horrific treatment.
However, a closer look at this act reveals that the entire situation was rife with hypocrisy.
The truth is, most ordinary Germans did not participate in the resistance movement against the Nazis. They simply wanted to survive. When Germany was defeated and sudden panic spread among the people, those who had remained silent for four years desperately wanted to show patriotism to their country and people. Attacking women who slept with the enemy was an easy way for cowards to appear like brave resistance fighters.
It was also extremely unfair. Wealthy businessmen who had amassed vast fortunes by supplying the Nazi war machine were largely unpunished. Enraged mobs targeted only poor women in their attacks. Many of these women were single mothers or maids who had slept with German soldiers simply to receive food rations, coal for the winter, or protection to prevent their children from starving.
Even American and British soldiers who arrived for combat were shocked by this lawless violence and later spoke of it. This is a classic example of how quickly society can lose its sanity after years of fear of death.
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