Foreign historiography of sexual violence in the German–Soviet War: main directions and trends

Abstract

The aim of the article is to examine foreign historiography on the problem of sexual violence in the German–Soviet War through the lens of feminist, anthropological, and gender theories. The author primarily considers foreign works on this topic published at the turn of the XX–XXI centuries, when it attracted significant interest among feminist historians. The study employs a range of principles, methods, and approaches (historicism, logical analysis, objectivity, historiographical analysis, comparative, and problem-chronological methods), which made it possible to analyze the scholarly directions and interpretations of sexual violence in the Second World War and the German–Soviet War present in foreign historiography.

The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, for the first time in Ukrainian historical scholarship, an attempt has been made to analyze foreign studies devoted to sexual violence in the German–Soviet War. The article highlights a number of controversial issues and demonstrates attempts within Russian historiography to deny sexual crimes committed by Soviet soldiers and to stigmatize research that addresses this problem within the Red Army. Conclusions. Contemporary foreign historiography examines the issue of sexual violence during the German–Soviet War from feminist and anthropological perspectives. Historians reject the dichotomy of a “civilized” Wehrmacht, allegedly refraining from sexual crimes due to “racial laws,” versus a “barbaric” Red Army that indiscriminately destroyed and raped the German civilian population. Instead, they analyze the issue from the standpoint of how the conditions of total war radicalize masculinity and legitimize violence in both camps. Attention is drawn to the many aspects of sexual violence during the war and its impact on the civilian population.