A Terrible Revenge by Alfred-Maurice De Zayas (2006, Paperback, Revised)

There were a lot of tragedies in WWII, but this book explores one of the worst,the removal by force of 21 million people of German extraction from Eastern Europe, with an estimated 3 million deaths, done by the Soviet Union, with approval and support of the Western Allies, beginning in January 1945 and extending to 1948.Because of the horrific atrocities done by the Nazi authorities, there was minimal sympathy for these people, despite the fact that they had little to do with the war. (Most were farm families and small trades people whose families had lived in the area for well over 200 years.)
Standard Soviet policy was to arrest and execute any Nazi party officials they could capture, no matter how minor. As troops moved through these regions, they looted every house, taking what they wanted, and then burning or blowing up the buildings, unless the buildings were determined to be needed by the Russian Military.
A large percentage of able bodied males, 12 years up to 70 years old, were conscripted for work in the Soviet Union, rebuilding and repairing. This was regardless of whether they were taking care of families where the fathers and uncles were already serving in the Wermacht, and they were just trying to keep the farms going.
As far as the women went, rape was wholsale. Virtually every female between 10 years and 80 was repeatedly raped. Women had their hands nailed to doors that were removed from buildings, so they couldn't get up. Many women died from the constant raping.
At the same time that the available men were beind conscripted for forced labor, (after the initial attacks were over) many of the surviving women were gathered and then selected out for forced prostitution to Soviet Army units.
Virtually all the surviving live stock was shipped back to the Soviet Union for distribution to collective farms, or for butchering for meat. All the available food was gathered and confiscated.
People were told to pack with what they could, with a time limit of 5 or ten minutes, and then marched off.
One friend who I talked to recounted the loss of the family farm, (he was just 8 years old at the time) and told how they had hurriedly packed and were directed south into Checkoslovakia. They were fortunate in having a wagon with a horse, along with food that their mother had prepared after hearing rumors. The horse and the food were soon stolen, and they made the rest of the way on foot. Millions simply died from starvation or being shot by the Soviets.
This book recounts the personal stories of many people, but also covers the political situation, and explains how all this was brought about. I bought a copy of the book for a friend who went through this at the age of 8, and after reading it, he finally understood what had happened. He had never known the situations, and as glad to finally get an explanation for the trials he underwent as a child. After reading it, he ordered another 15 copies to send to friends and relatives who also had gone through the resettlemen.
It is exceptionally well written, heavily footnoted and referenced for any skeptics, and has maps and photographs to illustrate the story. It is also a bold statement against the Western Allies, who allowed this to occur. This was in the face of Allied Declarations that there would be NO displacement of
individuals to reshape the political landscape.