June 23rd, 2017 08:38 am

Against the background of stories about Europe raped by soldiers of the Red Army, it is very important to remember those who, during the Second World War, really left behind a raped country. We are talking about the soldiers of the Moroccan corps who fought on the side of France in Africa and Italy.

When it comes to the horrors and atrocities of the Second World War, as a rule, the acts of the Nazis are meant. Torture of prisoners, concentration camps, genocide, extermination of the civilian population - the list of atrocities of the Nazis is inexhaustible.

However, one of the most terrible pages in the history of the Second World War is inscribed in it by units of the Allied troops who liberated Europe from the Nazis. The French, and in fact the Moroccan expeditionary force, received the title of the main scumbags of this war.

Moroccans in the ranks of the allies

As part of the French Expeditionary Force, several regiments of Moroccan Gumiers fought. Berbers were recruited into these units - representatives of the native tribes of Morocco. The French Army used the Gumiers in Libya during World War II, where they fought Italian forces in 1940. Moroccan gumiers also took part in the battles in Tunisia, which took place in 1942-1943.

In 1943, Allied troops landed in Sicily. The Moroccan Gumiers, by order of the allied command, were placed at the disposal of the 1st American Infantry Division. Some of them participated in the battles for the liberation of the island of Corsica from the Nazis. By November 1943, the Moroccan soldiers were redeployed to the Italian mainland, where in May 1944 they crossed the Avrunk mountains. Subsequently, regiments of Moroccan Gumiers participated in the liberation of France, and at the end of March 1945 they were the first to break into Germany from the side of the Siegfried Line.

Why Moroccans went to fight in Europe

Gumiers rarely went into battle for reasons of patriotism - Morocco was under the protectorate of France, but they did not consider it their homeland. The main reason was the prospect of decent wages by the standards of the country, an increase in military prestige, and a manifestation of loyalty to the heads of their clans who sent soldiers to fight.

The poorest inhabitants of the Maghreb, the highlanders, were often recruited into the regiments of the Gumiers. Most of them were illiterate. The French officers were supposed to play the role of wise advisers with them, replacing the authority of the tribal leaders.

How the Moroccan Gumiers fought

At least 22,000 Moroccan subjects participated in the battles of World War II. The permanent strength of the Moroccan regiments reached 12,000, with 1,625 soldiers killed in action and 7,500 wounded.

According to some historians, Moroccan warriors have proven themselves in mountain battles, finding themselves in familiar surroundings. The birthplace of the Berber tribes is the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, so the Gumiers perfectly tolerated transitions to the highlands.

Other researchers are categorical: the Moroccans were average warriors, but they managed to surpass even the Nazis in the brutal murders of prisoners. The Gumiers could not and did not want to give up the ancient practice of cutting off the ears and noses of the corpses of enemies. But the main horror of the settlements, which included Moroccan soldiers, was the mass rape of civilians.

Liberators became rapists

The first news about the rape of Italian women by Moroccan soldiers was recorded on December 11, 1943, on the day the Gumiers landed in Italy. It was about four soldiers. The French officers were unable to control the actions of the Gumiers. Historians note that "these were the first echoes of a behavior that would later be long associated with the Moroccans."

Already in March 1944, during de Gaulle's first visit to the Italian front, local residents turned to him with an ardent request to return the Gumiers to Morocco. De Gaulle promised to involve them only as carabinieri to protect public order.

On May 17, 1944, American soldiers in one of the villages heard the desperate cries of raped women. According to their testimonies, the Gumiers repeated what the Italians did in Africa. However, the allies were really shocked: the British report speaks of the rape of women, little girls, adolescents of both sexes, as well as prisoners in prisons, right on the streets.

Moroccan horror near Monte Cassino

One of the most terrible deeds of the Moroccan Gumiers in Europe is the story of the liberation of Monte Cassino from the Nazis. The Allies succeeded in capturing this ancient abbey in central Italy on May 14, 1944. After their final victory at Cassino, the command announced "fifty hours of freedom" - the south of Italy was given to the Moroccans for three days.

Historians testify that after the battle, the Moroccan Gumiers committed brutal pogroms in the surrounding villages. All girls and women were raped, and teenage boys were not saved. Reports from the German 71st Division record 600 rapes of women in the small town of Spigno in just three days.

Over 800 men were killed while trying to save their relatives, girlfriends or neighbors. The pastor of the town of Esperia tried in vain to save three women from the violence of the Moroccan soldiers - the gumiers tied the priest and raped him all night, after which he soon died. The Moroccans also plundered and carried away everything that had at least some value.

Moroccans chose the most beautiful girls for gang rapes. Queues of gummers lined up for each of them, wanting to have some fun, while other soldiers kept the unfortunate. So, two young sisters 18 and 15 years old were raped by more than 200 Gumiers each. The younger sister died from injuries and ruptures, the older one went crazy and was kept in a psychiatric hospital for 53 years until her death.

War with women

In the historical literature about the Apennine Peninsula, the time from the end of 1943 to May 1945 is called guerra al femminile - "war with women." French military courts during this period initiated 160 criminal proceedings against 360 persons. Death sentences and heavy punishments were handed down. In addition, many rapists who were taken by surprise were shot at the scene of the crime.

In Sicily, the Gumiera raped everyone they could capture. The partisans of some regions of Italy stopped fighting the Germans and began to save the surrounding villages and villages from the Moroccans. A huge number of forced abortions and infections with venereal diseases had terrible consequences for many small villages and villages in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany.

The Italian writer Alberto Moravia wrote in 1957 his most famous novel, Ciociara, based on what he saw in 1943, when he and his wife were hiding in Ciociaria (a locality in the Lazio region). On the basis of the novel, in 1960, the film "Chochara" (in the English box office - "Two Women") was filmed with Sophia Loren in the title role. On their way to liberated Rome, the heroine and her young daughter stop to rest in a church in a small town. There, they are attacked by several Moroccan Gumiers, who rape both of them.

Testimony of victims

On April 7, 1952, the testimonies of numerous victims were heard in the lower house of the Italian Parliament. So, the mother of 17-year-old Malinari Velha spoke about the events of May 27, 1944 in Valecors: “We were walking along Monte Lupino Street and saw Moroccans. The soldier was clearly attracted to the young Malinari. We begged not to touch us, but they did not listen. Two held me, the rest raped Malinari in turn. When the latter finished, one of the soldiers took out a gun and shot my daughter.”

Elisabetta Rossi, 55, from the Farneta area, recalled: “I tried to protect my daughters, aged 18 and 17, but I was stabbed in the stomach. Bleeding, I watched as they were raped. A five-year-old boy, not understanding what was happening, rushed to us. They fired several bullets into his stomach and threw him into a ravine. The next day the child died.

Morocco

The atrocities that the Moroccan Gumiers committed in Italy for several months received the name marocchinate from Italian historians, derived from the name of the native country of the rapists.

On October 15, 2011, Emiliano Ciotti, president of the National Association of Marocchinate Victims, gave an assessment of the extent of what happened: “From the numerous documents collected today, it is known that at least 20,000 recorded cases of violence have been committed. This number still does not reflect the truth - medical reports of those years report that two-thirds of the raped women, out of shame or modesty, chose not to report anything to the authorities. Based on a comprehensive assessment, we can say with certainty that at least 60,000 women were raped. On average, North African soldiers raped them in groups of two or three, but we also have testimonies of women raped by 100, 200 and even 300 soldiers,” Ciotti said.

Effects

After the end of the Second World War, the Moroccan gummers were urgently returned by the French authorities to Morocco. On August 1, 1947, the Italian authorities sent an official protest to the French government. The answer was formal replies. The problem was raised again by the Italian leadership in 1951 and in 1993. The question still remains open.

To the Moroccan Expeditionary Force: the main "thugs" of World War II

When it comes to the horrors and atrocities of the Second World War, as a rule, the acts of the Nazis are meant. Torture of prisoners, concentration camps, genocide, extermination of the civilian population - the list of atrocities of the Nazis is inexhaustible.
However, one of the most terrible pages in the history of the Second World War is inscribed in it by units of the Allied troops who liberated Europe from the Nazis. The French, and in fact the Moroccan expeditionary force, received the title of the main scumbags of this war.

As part of the French Expeditionary Force, several regiments of Moroccan Gumiers fought. Berbers, representatives of the native tribes of Morocco, were recruited into these units. The French army used the Gumiers in Libya during World War II, where they fought Italian forces in 1940. Moroccan gumiers also took part in the battles in Tunisia, which took place in 1942-1943.
In 1943, Allied troops landed in Sicily. The Moroccan Gumiers, by order of the allied command, were placed at the disposal of the 1st American Infantry Division. Some of them participated in the battles for the liberation of the island of Corsica from the Nazis. By November 1943, the Moroccan soldiers were redeployed to the Italian mainland, where in May 1944 they crossed the Avrunk mountains. Subsequently, regiments of Moroccan Gumiers participated in the liberation of France, and at the end of March 1945 they were the first to break into Germany from the side of the Siegfried Line.

Why Moroccans went to fight in Europe

The Gumiers rarely went into battle for reasons of patriotism - Morocco was under the protectorate of France, but they did not consider it their homeland. The main reason was the prospect of decent wages by the standards of the country, an increase in military prestige, and a manifestation of loyalty to the heads of their clans who sent soldiers to fight.

The poorest inhabitants of the Maghreb, the highlanders, were often recruited into the regiments of the Gumiers. Most of them were illiterate. The French officers were supposed to play the role of wise advisers with them, replacing the authority of the tribal leaders.

How the Moroccan Gumiers fought

At least 22,000 Moroccan subjects participated in the battles of World War II. The permanent strength of the Moroccan regiments reached 12,000, with 1,625 soldiers killed in action and 7,500 wounded.

According to some historians, Moroccan warriors have proven themselves in mountain battles, finding themselves in familiar surroundings. The birthplace of the Berber tribes is the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, so the Gumiers perfectly endured the transitions to the highlands.

Other researchers are categorical: the Moroccans were average warriors, but they managed to surpass even the Nazis in the brutal murders of prisoners. The Gumiers could not and did not want to give up the ancient practice of cutting off the ears and noses of the corpses of enemies. But the main horror of the settlements, which included Moroccan soldiers, was the mass rape of civilians.

Liberators became rapists

The first news about the rape of Italian women by Moroccan soldiers was recorded on December 11, 1943, on the day the Gumiers landed in Italy. It was about four soldiers. The French officers were unable to control the actions of the Gumiers. Historians note that "these were the first echoes of a behavior that would later be long associated with the Moroccans."

Already in March 1944, during de Gaulle's first visit to the Italian front, local residents turned to him with an ardent request to return the Gumiers to Morocco. De Gaulle promised to involve them only as carabinieri to protect public order.

On May 17, 1944, American soldiers in one of the villages heard the desperate cries of raped women. According to their testimonies, the Gumiers repeated what the Italians did in Africa. However, the allies were really shocked: the British report speaks of the rape of women, little girls, adolescents of both sexes, as well as prisoners in prisons, right on the streets.

Moroccan horror near Monte Cassino

One of the most terrible deeds of the Moroccan Gumiers in Europe is the story of the liberation of Monte Cassino from the Nazis. The Allies succeeded in capturing this ancient abbey in central Italy on May 14, 1944. After their final victory at Cassino, the command announced "fifty hours of freedom" - the south of Italy was given to the Moroccans for three days.

Historians testify that after the battle, the Moroccan Gumiers committed brutal pogroms in the surrounding villages. All girls and women were raped, and teenage boys were not saved. Reports from the German 71st Division record 600 rapes of women in the small town of Spigno in just three days.

Over 800 men were killed while trying to save their relatives, girlfriends or neighbors. The pastor of the town of Esperia tried in vain to save three women from the violence of the Moroccan soldiers - the gumiers tied the priest and raped him all night, after which he soon died. The Moroccans also plundered and carried away everything that had at least some value.

Moroccans chose the most beautiful girls for gang rapes. Queues of gummers lined up for each of them, wanting to have some fun, while other soldiers kept the unfortunate. So, two young sisters 18 and 15 years old were raped by more than 200 Gumiers each. The younger sister died from injuries and ruptures, the older one went crazy and was kept in a psychiatric hospital for 53 years until her death.

War with women

In the historical literature about the Apennine Peninsula, the time from the end of 1943 to May 1945 is called guerra al femminile - "war with women." French military courts during this period initiated 160 criminal proceedings against 360 persons. Death sentences and heavy punishments were handed down. In addition, many rapists who were taken by surprise were shot at the scene of the crime.

In Sicily, the Gumiera raped everyone they could capture. The partisans of some regions of Italy stopped fighting the Germans and began to save the surrounding villages and villages from the Moroccans. A huge number of forced abortions and infections with venereal diseases had terrible consequences for many small villages and villages in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany.

The Italian writer Alberto Moravia wrote in 1957 his most famous novel, Ciociara, based on what he saw in 1943, when he and his wife were hiding in Ciociaria (a locality in the Lazio region). On the basis of the novel, in 1960, the film "Chochara" (in the English box office - "Two Women") was filmed with Sophia Loren in the title role. On their way to liberated Rome, the heroine and her young daughter stop to rest in a church in a small town. There, they are attacked by several Moroccan Gumiers, who rape both of them.

Testimony of victims

On April 7, 1952, the testimonies of numerous victims were heard in the lower house of the Italian Parliament. So, the mother of 17-year-old Malinari Velha spoke about the events of May 27, 1944 in Valecors: “We were walking along Monte Lupino Street and saw Moroccans. The soldier was clearly attracted to the young Malinari. We begged not to touch us, but they did not listen. Two held me, the rest raped Malinari in turn. When the latter finished, one of the soldiers took out a gun and shot my daughter.”

Elisabetta Rossi, 55, from the Farneta area, recalled: “I tried to protect my daughters, aged 18 and 17, but I was stabbed in the stomach. Bleeding, I watched as they were raped. A five-year-old boy, not understanding what was happening, rushed to us. They fired several bullets into his stomach and threw him into a ravine. The next day the child died.

Morocco

The atrocities that the Moroccan Gumiers committed in Italy for several months received from Italian historians the name marocchinate, derived from the name of the native country of the rapists.

On October 15, 2011, Emiliano Ciotti, president of the National Association of Marocchinate Victims, gave an assessment of the extent of what happened: “From the numerous documents collected today, it is known that at least 20,000 recorded cases of violence have been committed. This number still does not reflect the truth - medical reports of those years report that two-thirds of the raped women, out of shame or modesty, chose not to report anything to the authorities. Based on a comprehensive assessment, we can say with certainty that at least 60,000 women were raped. On average, North African soldiers raped them in groups of two or three, but we also have testimonies of women raped by 100, 200 and even 300 soldiers,” Ciotti said.

Effects

After the end of the Second World War, the Moroccan gummers were urgently returned by the French authorities to Morocco. On August 1, 1947, the Italian authorities sent an official protest to the French government. The answer was formal replies. The problem was raised again by the Italian leadership in 1951 and in 1993. The question still remains open.

When it comes to the horrors and atrocities of the Second World War, as a rule, the acts of the Nazis are meant. Torture of prisoners, concentration camps, genocide, extermination of the civilian population - the list of atrocities of the Nazis is inexhaustible.

However, one of the most terrible pages in the history of the Second World War is inscribed in it by units of the Allied troops who liberated Europe from the Nazis. The French, and in fact the Moroccan expeditionary force, received the title of the main scumbags of this war.

Moroccans in the ranks of the allies

As part of the French Expeditionary Force, several regiments of Moroccan Gumiers fought. Berbers were recruited into these units - representatives of the native tribes of Morocco. The French Army used the Gumiers in Libya during World War II, where they fought Italian forces in 1940. Moroccan gumiers also took part in the battles in Tunisia, which took place in 1942-1943.

In 1943, Allied troops landed in Sicily. The Moroccan Gumiers, by order of the allied command, were placed at the disposal of the 1st American Infantry Division. Some of them participated in the battles for the liberation of the island of Corsica from the Nazis. By November 1943, the Moroccan soldiers were redeployed to the Italian mainland, where in May 1944 they crossed the Avrunk mountains. Subsequently, regiments of Moroccan Gumiers participated in the liberation of France, and at the end of March 1945 they were the first to break into Germany from the side of the Siegfried Line.

Why Moroccans went to fight in Europe

Gumiers rarely went into battle for reasons of patriotism - Morocco was under the protectorate of France, but they did not consider it their homeland. The main reason was the prospect of decent wages by the standards of the country, an increase in military prestige, and a manifestation of loyalty to the heads of their clans who sent soldiers to fight.

The poorest inhabitants of the Maghreb, the highlanders, were often recruited into the regiments of the Gumiers. Most of them were illiterate. The French officers were supposed to play the role of wise advisers with them, replacing the authority of the tribal leaders.

How the Moroccan Gumiers fought

At least 22,000 Moroccan subjects participated in the battles of World War II. The permanent strength of the Moroccan regiments reached 12,000, with 1,625 soldiers killed in action and 7,500 wounded.

According to some historians, Moroccan warriors have proven themselves in mountain battles, finding themselves in familiar surroundings. The birthplace of the Berber tribes is the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, so the Gumiers perfectly tolerated transitions to the highlands.

Other researchers are categorical: the Moroccans were average warriors, but they managed to surpass even the Nazis in the brutal murders of prisoners. The Gumiers could not and did not want to give up the ancient practice of cutting off the ears and noses of the corpses of enemies. But the main horror of the settlements, which included Moroccan soldiers, was the mass rape of civilians.

Liberators became rapists

The first news about the rape of Italian women by Moroccan soldiers was recorded on December 11, 1943, on the day the Gumiers landed in Italy. It was about four soldiers. The French officers were unable to control the actions of the Gumiers. Historians note that "these were the first echoes of a behavior that would later be long associated with the Moroccans."

Already in March 1944, during de Gaulle's first visit to the Italian front, local residents turned to him with an ardent request to return the Gumiers to Morocco. De Gaulle promised to involve them only as carabinieri to protect public order.

On May 17, 1944, American soldiers in one of the villages heard the desperate cries of raped women. According to their testimonies, the Gumiers repeated what the Italians did in Africa. However, the allies were really shocked: the British report speaks of the rape of women, little girls, adolescents of both sexes, as well as prisoners in prisons, right on the streets.

Moroccan horror near Monte Cassino

One of the most terrible deeds of the Moroccan Gumiers in Europe is the story of the liberation of Monte Cassino from the Nazis. The Allies succeeded in capturing this ancient abbey in central Italy on May 14, 1944. After their final victory at Cassino, the command announced "fifty hours of freedom" - the south of Italy was given to the Moroccans for three days.

Historians testify that after the battle, the Moroccan Gumiers committed brutal pogroms in the surrounding villages. All girls and women were raped, and teenage boys were not saved. Reports from the German 71st Division record 600 rapes of women in the small town of Spigno in just three days.

Over 800 men were killed while trying to save their relatives, girlfriends or neighbors. The pastor of the town of Esperia tried in vain to save three women from the violence of the Moroccan soldiers - the gumiers tied the priest and raped him all night, after which he soon died. The Moroccans also plundered and carried away everything that had at least some value.

Moroccans chose the most beautiful girls for gang rapes. Queues of gummers lined up for each of them, wanting to have some fun, while other soldiers kept the unfortunate. So, two young sisters 18 and 15 years old were raped by more than 200 Gumiers each. The younger sister died from injuries and ruptures, the older one went crazy and was kept in a psychiatric hospital for 53 years until her death.

War with women

In the historical literature about the Apennine Peninsula, the time from the end of 1943 to May 1945 is called guerra al femminile - "war with women." French military courts during this period initiated 160 criminal proceedings against 360 persons. Death sentences and heavy punishments were handed down. In addition, many rapists who were taken by surprise were shot at the scene of the crime.

In Sicily, the Gumiera raped everyone they could capture. The partisans of some regions of Italy stopped fighting the Germans and began to save the surrounding villages and villages from the Moroccans. A huge number of forced abortions and infections with venereal diseases had terrible consequences for many small villages and villages in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany.

The Italian writer Alberto Moravia wrote in 1957 his most famous novel, Ciociara, based on what he saw in 1943, when he and his wife were hiding in Ciociaria (a locality in the Lazio region). On the basis of the novel, in 1960, the film "Chochara" (in the English box office - "Two Women") was filmed with Sophia Loren in the title role. On their way to liberated Rome, the heroine and her young daughter stop to rest in a church in a small town. There, they are attacked by several Moroccan Gumiers, who rape both of them.

Testimony of victims

On April 7, 1952, the testimonies of numerous victims were heard in the lower house of the Italian Parliament. So, the mother of 17-year-old Malinari Velha spoke about the events of May 27, 1944 in Valecors: “We were walking along Monte Lupino Street and saw Moroccans. The soldier was clearly attracted to the young Malinari. We begged not to touch us, but they did not listen. Two held me, the rest raped Malinari in turn. When the latter finished, one of the soldiers took out a gun and shot my daughter.”

Elisabetta Rossi, 55, from the Farneta area, recalled: “I tried to protect my daughters, aged 18 and 17, but I was stabbed in the stomach. Bleeding, I watched as they were raped. A five-year-old boy, not understanding what was happening, rushed to us. They fired several bullets into his stomach and threw him into a ravine. The next day the child died.

Morocco

The atrocities that the Moroccan Gumiers committed in Italy for several months received the name marocchinate from Italian historians, derived from the name of the native country of the rapists.

On October 15, 2011, Emiliano Ciotti, president of the National Association of Marocchinate Victims, gave an assessment of the extent of what happened: “From the numerous documents collected today, it is known that at least 20,000 recorded cases of violence have been committed. This number still does not reflect the truth - medical reports of those years report that two-thirds of the raped women, out of shame or modesty, chose not to report anything to the authorities. Based on a comprehensive assessment, we can say with certainty that at least 60,000 women were raped. On average, North African soldiers raped them in groups of two or three, but we also have testimonies of women raped by 100, 200 and even 300 soldiers,” Ciotti said.

Effects

After the end of the Second World War, the Moroccan gummers were urgently returned by the French authorities to Morocco. On August 1, 1947, the Italian authorities sent an official protest to the French government. The answer was formal replies. The problem was raised again by the Italian leadership in 1951 and in 1993. The question still remains open.

Testimony of female victims from the official record of testimony in the lower house of the Italian Parliament. Meeting of April 7, 1952:
“Malinari Veglia, at the time of the events she was 17 years old. The testimony is given by her mother, Events of May 27, 1944, Valekorsa.
They were walking down Monte Lupino Street when they saw the "Moroccans". The warriors approached the women. They were clearly interested in the young Malinari. The women began to beg not to do anything, but the soldiers did not understand them. While two held the girl's mother, the others took turns raping her. When the last one finished, one of the "Moroccans" took out a pistol and shot Malinari.
Elisabetta Rossi, 55, Farneta district, tells how, stabbed in the stomach, she watched her two daughters, aged 17 and 18, being raped. She got hurt when she tried to protect them. A group of "Moroccans" left her nearby. The next victim was a five-year-old boy who rushed towards them, not understanding what was happening. The child was thrown into a ravine with five bullets in the stomach. A day later, the baby died.
Emanuella Valente, May 25, 1944, Santa Lucia, she was 70 years old. An elderly woman calmly walked down the street, sincerely thinking that her age would protect her from rape. But he turned out to be rather her opponent. When a group of young "Moroccans" spotted her, Emanuella tried to run away from them. They caught up with her, knocked her down, broke her wrists. After that, she was subjected to group abuse. She was infected with syphilis. It was embarrassing and difficult for her to tell the doctors exactly what had happened to her. The wrist remained damaged for the rest of his life. She perceives her other illness as martyrdom.
Did other allies or fascists know about the actions of the Franco-African Corps? Yes, since the Germans recorded their statistics, as mentioned above, and the Americans made offers to "get prostitutes."
The final figures of the victims of the "war against women" vary: the DWF magazine, No. 17 for 1993, cites the historian's information about sixty thousand women raped in less than a year as a result of the "Moroccans" playing the role of police in southern Italy. These numbers are based on the statements of the victims. In addition, many women who, after such events, could no longer marry or continue a normal life, committed suicide, went crazy. These are outrageous stories. Anthony Collici, who was 12 years old in 1944, writes: "... they entered the house, held a knife to the throats of men, looked for women ...". What follows is the story of two sisters who were abused by two hundred "Moroccans". As a result, one of the sisters died, the other ended up in a lunatic asylum.
On August 1, 1947, the Italian leadership submitted a protest to the French government. In response - bureaucratic delays, chicanery. The issue was raised again in 1951 and in 1993. There is talk about the Islamic threat, about intercultural communication. This question remains open to this day.

When it comes to the horrors and atrocities of the Second World War, as a rule, the acts of the Nazis are meant. Torture of prisoners, concentration camps, genocide, extermination of the civilian population - the list of atrocities of the Nazis is inexhaustible.

However, one of the most terrible pages in the history of the Second World War is inscribed in it by units of the Allied troops who liberated Europe from the Nazis. The French, and in fact the Moroccan expeditionary force, received the title of the main scumbags of this war.

Moroccans in the ranks of the allies

As part of the French Expeditionary Force, several regiments of Moroccan Gumiers fought. Berbers were recruited into these units - representatives of the native tribes of Morocco. The French Army used the Gumiers in Libya during World War II, where they fought Italian forces in 1940. Moroccan gumiers also took part in the battles in Tunisia, which took place in 1942-1943.

In 1943, Allied troops landed in Sicily. The Moroccan Gumiers, by order of the allied command, were placed at the disposal of the 1st American Infantry Division. Some of them participated in the battles for the liberation of the island of Corsica from the Nazis. By November 1943, the Moroccan soldiers were redeployed to the Italian mainland, where in May 1944 they crossed the Avrunk mountains. Subsequently, regiments of Moroccan Gumiers participated in the liberation of France, and at the end of March 1945 they were the first to break into Germany from the side of the Siegfried Line.

Why Moroccans went to fight in Europe

Gumiers rarely went into battle for reasons of patriotism - Morocco was under the protectorate of France, but they did not consider it their homeland. The main reason was the prospect of decent wages by the standards of the country, an increase in military prestige, and a manifestation of loyalty to the heads of their clans who sent soldiers to fight.

The poorest inhabitants of the Maghreb, the highlanders, were often recruited into the regiments of the Gumiers. Most of them were illiterate. The French officers were supposed to play the role of wise advisers with them, replacing the authority of the tribal leaders.

How the Moroccan Gumiers fought

At least 22,000 Moroccan subjects participated in the battles of World War II. The permanent strength of the Moroccan regiments reached 12,000, with 1,625 soldiers killed in action and 7,500 wounded.

According to some historians, Moroccan warriors have proven themselves in mountain battles, finding themselves in familiar surroundings. The birthplace of the Berber tribes is the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, so the Gumiers perfectly tolerated transitions to the highlands.

Other researchers are categorical: the Moroccans were average warriors, but they managed to surpass even the Nazis in the brutal murders of prisoners. The Gumiers could not and did not want to give up the ancient practice of cutting off the ears and noses of the corpses of enemies. But the main horror of the settlements, which included Moroccan soldiers, was the mass rape of civilians.

Liberators became rapists

The first news about the rape of Italian women by Moroccan soldiers was recorded on December 11, 1943, on the day the Gumiers landed in Italy. It was about four soldiers. The French officers were unable to control the actions of the Gumiers. Historians note that "these were the first echoes of a behavior that would later be long associated with the Moroccans."

Already in March 1944, during de Gaulle's first visit to the Italian front, local residents turned to him with an ardent request to return the Gumiers to Morocco. De Gaulle promised to involve them only as carabinieri to protect public order.

On May 17, 1944, American soldiers in one of the villages heard the desperate cries of raped women. According to their testimonies, the Gumiers repeated what the Italians did in Africa. However, the allies were really shocked: the British report speaks of the rape of women, little girls, adolescents of both sexes, as well as prisoners in prisons, right on the streets.

Moroccan horror near Monte Cassino

One of the most terrible deeds of the Moroccan Gumiers in Europe is the story of the liberation of Monte Cassino from the Nazis. The Allies succeeded in capturing this ancient abbey in central Italy on May 14, 1944. After their final victory at Cassino, the command announced "fifty hours of freedom" - the south of Italy was given to the Moroccans for three days.

Historians testify that after the battle, the Moroccan Gumiers committed brutal pogroms in the surrounding villages. All girls and women were raped, and teenage boys were not saved. Reports from the German 71st Division record 600 rapes of women in the small town of Spigno in just three days.

Over 800 men were killed while trying to save their relatives, girlfriends or neighbors. The pastor of the town of Esperia tried in vain to save three women from the violence of the Moroccan soldiers - the gumiers tied the priest and raped him all night, after which he soon died. The Moroccans also plundered and carried away everything that had at least some value.

Moroccans chose the most beautiful girls for gang rapes. Queues of gummers lined up for each of them, wanting to have some fun, while other soldiers kept the unfortunate. So, two young sisters 18 and 15 years old were raped by more than 200 Gumiers each. The younger sister died from injuries and ruptures, the older one went crazy and was kept in a psychiatric hospital for 53 years until her death.

War with women

In the historical literature about the Apennine Peninsula, the time from the end of 1943 to May 1945 is called guerra al femminile - "war with women." French military courts during this period initiated 160 criminal proceedings against 360 persons. Death sentences and heavy punishments were handed down. In addition, many rapists who were taken by surprise were shot at the scene of the crime.

In Sicily, the Gumiera raped everyone they could capture. The partisans of some regions of Italy stopped fighting the Germans and began to save the surrounding villages and villages from the Moroccans. A huge number of forced abortions and infections with venereal diseases had terrible consequences for many small villages and villages in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany.

The Italian writer Alberto Moravia wrote in 1957 his most famous novel, Ciociara, based on what he saw in 1943, when he and his wife were hiding in Ciociaria (a locality in the Lazio region). On the basis of the novel, in 1960, the film "Chochara" (in the English box office - "Two Women") was filmed with Sophia Loren in the title role. On their way to liberated Rome, the heroine and her young daughter stop to rest in a church in a small town. There, they are attacked by several Moroccan Gumiers, who rape both of them.

Testimony of victims

On April 7, 1952, the testimonies of numerous victims were heard in the lower house of the Italian Parliament. So, the mother of 17-year-old Malinari Velha spoke about the events of May 27, 1944 in Valecors: “We were walking along Monte Lupino Street and saw Moroccans. The soldier was clearly attracted to the young Malinari. We begged not to touch us, but they did not listen. Two held me, the rest raped Malinari in turn. When the latter finished, one of the soldiers took out a gun and shot my daughter.”

Elisabetta Rossi, 55, from the Farneta area, recalled: “I tried to protect my daughters, aged 18 and 17, but I was stabbed in the stomach. Bleeding, I watched as they were raped. A five-year-old boy, not understanding what was happening, rushed to us. They fired several bullets into his stomach and threw him into a ravine. The next day the child died.

Morocco

The atrocities that the Moroccan Gumiers committed in Italy for several months received the name marocchinate from Italian historians, derived from the name of the native country of the rapists.

On October 15, 2011, Emiliano Ciotti, president of the National Association of Marocchinate Victims, gave an assessment of the extent of what happened: “From the numerous documents collected today, it is known that at least 20,000 recorded cases of violence have been committed. This number still does not reflect the truth - medical reports of those years report that two-thirds of the raped women, out of shame or modesty, chose not to report anything to the authorities. Based on a comprehensive assessment, we can say with certainty that at least 60,000 women were raped. On average, North African soldiers raped them in groups of two or three, but we also have testimonies of women raped by 100, 200 and even 300 soldiers,” Ciotti said.

Effects

After the end of the Second World War, the Moroccan gummers were urgently returned by the French authorities to Morocco. On August 1, 1947, the Italian authorities sent an official protest to the French government. The answer was formal replies. The problem was raised again by the Italian leadership in 1951 and in 1993. The question still remains open.