War Crimes of the Liberators

War Crimes of the Liberators

2015, Military and War  -   27 Comments
7.54
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Ratings: 7.54/10 from 52 users.

In the heat of World War II, as millions perished to defend the cause of global freedom and democracy, an insidious rash of war crimes were occurring undeterred in plain sight. In the midst of war's insanity, many brave young men committed heinous acts they would likely find unimaginable in more civilized settings. Not surprisingly, most of these incidents were never investigated or prosecuted; they were generally portrayed as one of the regrettable byproducts of an ugly war. War Crimes of the Liberators examines this uncomfortable line between the gallant and venal.

On June 6, 1944, a slow march up a French beach became one of the most ambitious and heroic assaults in the history of war. D-Day is remembered as a turning point in the Second World War, and as one of the proudest examples of combat valor in military history. According to the historians profiled in the film, war atrocities were occurring almost from the moment the allied forces began to storm the beach. In a breach of international conventions, many German prisoners were not taken into custody as is customary, but shot on sight. Sexual assaults were also a common occurrence. These types of mass executions and other atrocities were reported to have taken place on all sides of the war.

Complimented by absorbing narration and newsreel footage, the film delves into the psychology of war, and the decayed morality that results from prolonged exposure to bloodshed and untempered aggression. Some of these acts were influenced by the pressures of conformity, while others were triggered by an all-too-human thirst for vengeance. War is a catalyst that can bring out the best - and worst - of its players.

One of the film's main points of focus is the culpability of military leadership, and their seeming indifference to such atrocities. In refusing to report, investigate or prosecute most of these incidents, military institutions failed to deter them from occurring.

War Crimes of the Liberators calls upon previously unpublished documents, raw testimonials from soldiers who stood on the front line, and insights from a panel of assorted researchers and historians to inform its challenging and tragic narrative.

Directed by: Annette Harlfinger, Michael Renz

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good luck with that
good luck with that
11 months ago

Women bear the brunt from all sides. They are raped by the enemy, raped by men on their own side, and raped by the liberators. Can't escape.

Tim
Tim
1 year ago

Winner prosecute and loser get prosecuted.plain and simple.

nobody
nobody
1 year ago

That's what happens when you refuse to surrender and instead let the front come home to roost.

pro tip: don't expect the best behavior.

Malcolm David Yamamasu
Malcolm David Yamamasu
2 years ago

I think you'll find Mr McIntosh the Allies regularly killed more civillians in 1 bombing raid than died in the whole of the Blitz.

Malcolm David Yamamasu
Malcolm David Yamamasu
2 years ago

There are hundreds of films and documentaries about the awful behaviour of the Axis Military. This is 1 small documentary looking at another side of the behaviour of some allied soldiers. Don't blow it out of proportion .

Barry McIntosh
Barry McIntosh
2 years ago

How is it that the German historian from the LSE manages to forget the Blitz?

Utisz
Utisz
3 years ago

Just so sad!

Alligator
Alligator
3 years ago

This must have been made by a modern-day Lefty, BLM and Antifa.
Casually left off the massive rapes committed by the Japanese. Wonder why?
Modern-day lefties screaming about trust the science, well, not very scientific how they come up with their numbers.

Michael
Michael
4 years ago

Americans brought their "democracy"

Pete
Pete
4 years ago

There's no such thing as glory in war

a
a
4 years ago

The wrong side won the second world war.

Les
Les
4 years ago

The US claimed to be fighting for "democracy" yet helped to arm Stalin with lend lease and put him in a position to set up communist dictatorships in eastern Europe including Poland whose invasion in 1939 was the reason for going to war in the first place. Hypocrisy much ?

Jeffrey
Jeffrey
4 years ago

The criminals who brought a decade of darkness, terror, genocide and cruel death to tens of millions of Innocents in Europe and the world turn around and complain about individual and isolated incidents of Allied retribution?! Hypocrits in ivory towers. You were only following orders.

Elenthora
Elenthora
4 years ago

I think you have to be very careful about accusation of war crimes against soldiers who do what they have to do during and immediately after battle.

voluntaryist
voluntaryist
5 years ago

War is the logical end result of the worldwide political paradigm based on the initiation of violence, threats, and fraud. No nation is moral or humane. All endorse the sacrifice of the individual to the "common good" or "national security" or "the collective". The end result is social chaos and collapse, even if it takes 900 years (the Roman Empire).

Roma Fraser-Engler
Roma Fraser-Engler
5 years ago

The Last Temptation - Mel Gibson - Molech is the indirect and direct cause of in humanity to humans and apparently continued covertly . HM Queen Elizabeth 11 a Warrior Princess - Warrior Priestess does no wrong .

MY father was a Canadian Soldier he came back and found them in Montreal . Unthinkable . My Father reported briefly . Kill or be killed

j. dean
j. dean
5 years ago

your website will do anything to suppress US greatness and generosity. Anything to undermine the USA; quite sad.

J Miller
J Miller
5 years ago

I would never take a prisoner alive unless by torture we might gain intelligence. We are being attacked with the intent of making slaves of us. If it were up to me all enemy and non enemy combatants would be executed unless it could be proven they fought against their own country. Then we take their land so they can never attack again. Germany was allowed to survive WWI and so they were able to start WWII. How dumb is that? Wars continue because we allow the aggressor to continue on until they are strong enough to do it all again.

clinton dickey
clinton dickey
5 years ago

a bit biased but good all the same