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At the end of World War II, Red Army soldiers raped more than 200,000 German females who then were murdered, died from injuries or committed suicide. After June 1945 the Soviet high command imposed punishments for rape ranging from arrest to execution. In 1947 Soviet troops were completely separated from the residential population of Berlin. Rape victims: Eastern Provinces: 1,400,000; SBZ: 500,000; Berlin: 100,000.

Fleeing from the advancing Soviet forces, the German refugees trudged in columns through snow at −25°C, while Soviet aircraft strafed the civilians. Possibly, more than 2 million people in the eastern provinces of Germany (East Prussia,West Prussia,Silesia,Pomerania) died, many of frost and starvation, but many were murdered by Soviet forces.

Over 20,000 Germans, mostly women and children died when Soviet submarines sunk the undeclared hospitalships (Wilhelm Gustloff (30 January 1945), Steuben (10 February 1945) and Goya (16 April 1945). Since they either were light-armed or convoyed those sinkings have not been classified as war crimes.

References

• Bundesarchiv Koblenz , Ostdokumentensammlung , Ost-Dok. 2 Nr. 8,13,14; Ost-Dok.2/51, 2/77,2/96
• Bundesarchiv/Militärarchiv Freiburg , Akten Fremde Heere Ost, Bestand H3, Bd. 483, 657, 665, 667, 690
• Archiv der Charité and Landesarchiv Berlin
• Helke Sander and Barbara Johr. BeFreier und Befreite. Krieg, Vegewaltigung, Kinder Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag (2005), ISBN 3596163056
• Franz W. Seidler and Alfred M. de Zayas. Kriegsverbrechen in Europa und im Nahen Osten im 20. Jahrhundert Hamburg-Berlin-Bonn (2002), p.122, ISBN 3813207021
• Dokumentation der Vertreibung der Deutschen aus Ostmitteleuropa, 5 Bde, 3 Beihefte, Bonn 1953-1961