What happened to German civilians after World war 2?

After the war, millions of German settlers were forcibly, even violently, expelled and sent back to Germany. Other ethnic Germans, whose families had lived in border regions like the Sudetenland for generations, also fled or were expelled. Allied opinion was divided about these expulsions.

What was Berlin Germany like during ww2?

During World War II, bombing, artillery, and ferocious street-by-street fighting destroyed large parts of Berlin. Berlin was subsequently divided among the four major Allied powers and for over four decades it encapsulated the Cold War confrontation between West and East.

What did German citizens do during ww2?

German civilians had known about the thousands of concentration camps, millions of slave laborers, and aggressive wars their nation started, yet most took no actions to stop the war or save their Jewish, Roma, homosexual, and Slavic neighbors.

How many Poles killed by Stalin?

From 1945 to 1948, the Soviets deported to forced labor or concentration camps in the Soviet Union from 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 Poles, of which 585,000 may have died. Hundreds of thousands and possibly near 1,000,000 Poles were killed in Soviet terror and repression.

What happened to German soldiers after ww2 ended?

After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, millions of German soldiers remained prisoners of war. In France, their internment lasted a particularly long time. But, for some former soldiers, it was a path to rehabilitation.

What happened to Germany’s gold after ww2?

It is estimated that nearly 91 tonnes (100 short tons) of Nazi gold were laundered through Swiss banks, with only 3.6 tonnes (4 short tons) being returned at the end of the war.

Why did Russia get to Berlin first?

Stalin had wanted to settle the score since Hitler’s breach of their non-aggression pact. Using his Marshals Zhukov and Konev, he was determined to beat Eisenhower to Berlin and the Reichstag. The Soviet Army ultimately captured Berlin.

Why didn’t the US invade Berlin?

The Americans and the British didn’t see a big reason to conquer Berlin and rather focused on German’s Industrial Region (the Ruhr). The Soviets on the other hand were extremely eager to get to Berlin first, with Stalin seeing it as the ultimate prize.