The Wild Purge: Why French women were publicly shaved after World War II

France's liberation in 1944 brought joyous freedom but also a brutal 'Wild Purge.' Women accused of intimacy with German soldiers faced public humiliation, including head shaving, as a nation sought to reclaim its honor. This gendered retribution, often based on rumor, highlights collective emotion over justice and the complex aftermath of occupation.

The Wild Purge: Why French women were publicly shaved after World War II
France's liberation in 1944 brought joyous freedom but also a brutal 'Wild Purge.' Women accused of intimacy with German soldiers faced public humiliation, including head shaving, as a nation sought to reclaim its honor. This gendered retribution, often based on rumor, highlights collective emotion over justice and the complex aftermath of occupation.