Husbands and Wives: An Evaluation of the Emotional Impact of World War Two in Germany

Abstract

This article examines the impact of World War Two on marriages in Germany. It asks if wartime circumstances could reaffirm and strengthen emotional bonds within the context of the threat of losing one’s loved ones. Historical analysis to date suggests that separations often led to estrangement and a difficult period of re-adjustment after reunion. However, quoting from numerous letters sent between husbands and wives in wartime, this article demonstrates that the chaotic and often life-threatening reality reinforced the desirability of the private sphere. In one typical example, a soldier wrote to his wife ‘I want to sit hand in hand with you this evening and explain everything about the past days. You’ll probably laugh about the sitting hand in hand bit, but right now I can’t think of anything nicer’. This is just one of the many letters used in this article to analyse the impact of war on marital relations.