Sexual Violence and Mass Rape in War: The Berlin Case /// 69

Battlecast

“Historically speaking, investigating sexual violence in war has been taboo. Nonetheless, sexual violence in armed conflict has been part of the spoils of war since time immemorial. Sexual violence takes many forms in armed conflicts across time and cultures. Sexual violence in war is often accompanied by torture, mutilation, and cannibalism. However, sexual violence is a runaway norm in warfare. It is a weapon and strategy of war aimed at domination, humiliation, expulsion, and extermination of the targeted group. In the history of sexual violence, there are no taboos untouched” (Leatherman, 2011, pp. 1; 3; 32).

The Battle of Berlin and the fall of the Reich was accompanied by wide-spread sexual abuse rivaled by few events in modern history. And yet, this complete and total humiliation of a people is rarely reported, and, even more rarely, understood. This is the story.

Since this is a double episode, the podcast also includes a detailed description of the Battle of Halbe, which took place twenty miles south of Berlin, and the show is accompanied by an exhaustive retelling of the battle within Berlin itself on April 27. It’s rape. It’s mass suicide. It’s mass abortions. It’s mass orphans. It’s little known. It’s on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and it’s sociopolitical impact.

Download episode 69 here: download link

This episode is part eight of an ongoing series. You can find parts one through seven at the following links: episode seven, episode six, episode five, episode four, episode three, episode two, and episode one.

Maps and Illustrations are located on the Definitive Atlas of the Battle of Berlin page linked here: Definitive Atlas of the Fall of Berlin

Music Source:

Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio /// website: karlcasey.bandcamp.com

References:

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