The Sexual Behavior of American Gis During the Early Years of the Occupation of Germany

World War II taxed many American GIs lives during their years of battle and turmoil, but after V.E. Day, victory in Europe, the only things taxed were young German women. The matter of the GIs sexual behavior had never really been an issue for the U.S. military before 1945, but it had soon become a top priority.

When the war in Europe was over, American soldiers were left with great amounts of free time and free transportation. Some of these men had not had any type of sexual activity for years, and the newly conquered Germany had many resources. At first, young German women were afraid of the American soldiers believing them to be rapists like many of the Russian Army’s men. This fear soon passed and German women and U.S. soldiers were heavily engaged in sexual activity with the each other. The military tried to regulate this by making anti-fraternization rules, but many loopholes were found. Eventually, these laws were all but dropped, but a new challenge was affecting the men---venereal disease. V.D. was a growing threat among all sects