Treatment of us pows by the germans in world war II

One of the significant features of World fightfare II was a great number of prisoners of war (prisoner of wars) to be unbroken both by assort and Axis. The way those prisoners were treated differed greatly dependently on the tribe of a prisoner and the country of imprisonment. This paper discusses the handling of the American prisoners captured on the European theatre and compares it to the intervention of prisoners from former(a) countries, such(prenominal) as Britain, Poland and Russia.In total near 95,000 American and 135,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen were incarcerated in prisoners of war (prisoner of war) camps in Ger many a(prenominal) during World war II. The prisoners were held in many fifty German POW camps, of several types. These include the Stalag (Stammlager, permanent camps for noncommissioned officers and enlisted men), Stalag Luft (Luftwaffestammlager, permanent camps for air quarter personnel), and Oflag (Offizierslager, permanent officers camps) . American POWs were found in many of the POW camps, but the majority of camps contained only a few Americans. In round camps (Stalags II-B, III-B, IV-B, XVII-B, Luft I, Luft III, and Luft IV), however, the number of American POWs ran into the thousands.The basic international instrument, regulating the POWs status at the time was the 1929 the geneva concourse Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, signed by 47 governments. Subject to this convention, no prisoner of war could be forced to disclose to his captor any study other than his identity (i.e., his name and rank, but not his military unit, home t admit, or address of relatives). both prisoner of war was entitled to adequate nutrition and checkup care and had the veracious to exchange rest and attain parcels. He was involve to observe public military discipline and courtesy, but he could try on to escape at his own risk. Once recaptured, he was not to be punished for his attempt.Officers were to receive c atch up with either according to the pay scale of their own country or to that of their captor, whichever was less they could not be requisite to lop. Enlisted men might be required to work for pay, but the nature and location of their work were not to expose them to danger, and in no baptistery could they be required to perform work like a shot related to to military operation outs. Camps were to be open to follow-up by authorized representatives of a neutral power.Germany in general followed the 1929 Geneva Convention in the treatment of American and British servicemen in POW camps, with bitty difference to be found in treatment with Americans and British. POWs were not to be singly confined, and the food served them should have been equal to that served to German troops. The ration was reduced by the end of the war, but this was related to the general situation with food in Germany. often greater problem for the POWs was the fond(p) clothing, often not provided by the G ermans, however the prisoners could receive acceptable clothes from the carmine cocker and from their families via the Red crisscross.The prisoners were every(prenominal)owed to arrange recreational activities, such as swordplay games by their own, also some attention was compensable to the religious demands of catholic and protestant POWs, the largest POW camps had chapels on their grunge. The prisoners, involved in work authorized small payment (5 to 10 marks) for their effort, though the centre of money, which a POW could possess was limited. An important right for the British and American prisoners was a right to distribute and receive mail, although the delivery of mail was very erratic, and a letter or a parcel required several weeks to transit.American and British prisoners worst enemy was commonly boredom. One of the roughly important activities which overcame this enemy was reading. The American and British peoples, through the various agencies which undertook t he task of providing POWs with books, set about it possible for prisoners to obtain books which were so necessary and useful. It helped the prisoners to obtrude upon their time and keep their mental capacity. When the American and British POWs left the prisoners of war camps, approximately 1 one million million million books were left behind.One can notice, that the treatment of British and American POWs was tolerant enough, except for some cases of spontaneous violence, such as murder of air force and RAF pilots by the German urbaneians, angry with their air raids. However, this piece attitude was hardly applied to the prisoners from other countries, retain in Germany. Polish, Yugoslavian and especially Russian prisoners receive the worst treatment ever imaginable.There were several reasons for it, and the most important of them was the notorious Nazi racial doctrine, which considered the Slaves to be Untermenschen or underhumans, almost equal to Jews. The Soviet sexual un ion was also not a party to 1929 Geneva Convention, and so could not count for Red Cross assistance. Finally, Stalin, being suspicious of everyone out of his control, proclaimed all the Russian POWs to be traitors and deprive them with any rights or aid.Dealing with Russian prisoners became even more complicated as the amount of captives at the maiden year of war reached 5 million, creating problems even with mere(a) accommodation. Russian soldiers, captured in the great encirclements, were often left without food for weeks, causing starvation and typhus. Some categories of prisoners, such as Jews or Communist party members were unremarkably shot immediately. The survivors were taken to the concentration camps on the territory of the Soviet Union, Poland and Germany itself.At the later period working with Russian POWs became more organized. Germans point nowadays was to use the mass of people in their electric pig in the most rational way. Those of the prisoners, who conforme d with the racial demands (mostly originating from the Baltic or western regions of Russia) could voluntary join the Wehrmacht. another(prenominal) volunteers, mostly recent captives, were used as Hiwi Hilfswillige), or helpers in the army units.The fate of the others to be kept in the concentration and death camps, such as Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau. Forced labour of the Russian POWs was actively used at the German civil an military enterprises, including aircraft factories and V-2 rockets production.Another way of exploiting the Untermenschen was to use them for medical and military experiments. For example, 600 Soviet prisoners were gassed in Auschwitz on 3 September 1941 at the first experiment with ZyklonB.establish on the overstated one can make a conclusion, that treatment of the American and British POWs, captured by the Germans was surely preferable to the treatment of other POWs. General observance of international constabulary towards allied prisoners by Germany a long Red Cross activity, provided them with huge benefits in comparison with the Slavic, Jewish and other POWs.BIBLIOGRAPHYM. R. D. Fott, Prisoners of War, The Oxford keep company to World War II (Oxford Oxford University Press, 1995)The Columbia Encyclopedia, sixth Edition.2001.American Prisoners of War in Germany. fain by Military Intelligence Service, War discussion section 1 Nov 1945W. Wynne Mason, Prisoners of War (Official archives of recent Zealand in the befriend World War 19391945) (Wellington, New Zealand War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, 1954)Antony Beevor Stalingrad (Penguin Books, New York, 1999)1 M. R. D. Fott, Prisoners of War, The Oxford Companion to World War II (Oxford Oxford University Press, 1995), pp. 9139152 The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.2001. 3 American Prisoners of War in Germany. Prepared by Military Intelligence Service, War Department 1 Nov 19454W. Wynne Mason, Prisoners of War (Official History of New Zealand in the Sec ond World War 19391945) (Wellington, New Zealand War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, 1954), pp. 4243 5 Antony Beevor Stalingrad (Penguin Books, New York, 1999), pp.- 15, 60, 166 6 Antony Beevor. Ibid. p.-59