What we know about how European civilians/soldiers during WWII handled the trauma they were facing, and what they did with it afterward?

by FunUniverse1778

Films often depict a lot of celebration when the Nazis fell.

For example, Downfall (2004) shows the Red Army playing accordions, singing, and dancing as Traudl Junge moves through their ranks and away from the captured Germans.

Obviously there was a lot of celebration.

But what were all the varied emotional reactions to Hitler's fall across Europe?

For example: After Nazi surrender, how much documentation is there of people in Europe having mental breakdowns, because they had suppressed their trauma (from the violence/horror/genocide, etc.) through immersion in the war, and now the war was suddenly over, and they had to face their demons?

I'm curious about the full range of emotional reactions/strategies/responses/outcomes during the war, immediately after Hitler fell, and then in the immediate/later postwar period.

Edit: I also wonder about the emotions of being in Berlin at the end of the war. It must have been so eerie/bizarre/surreal to be in that city, with all the rubble/ruins, and everything all deserted. Like a big crazy ghost-town, except with all the majestic architecture. It must have been strange. There must have been so many interesting emotions, and I wonder about the accounts of that. Some say that when Hitler died "National Socialism burst like a bubble" and "the spell was broken"; I wonder how surreal it was, like a bizarre nightmare was suddenly over.

Bacarruda

Regarding your question about trauma, this answer touches on some of the psychological issues faced by soldiers during the war (combat stress reaction, PTSD, wartime treatment, etc).