how did the treatment of prisoners differ during ww1

What happened to prisoners of war in WW1?

Thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers were captured by their enemies during the First World War. Unable to take any further part in the fighting, they became Prisoners of War, or POWs. British private, H Stone, was captured on the opening day of the German Spring Offensive, in March 1918.

How were prisoners treated in German prisons during WW2?

After the first year of the war, however, stories of ill-treatment of prisoners in German prison camps began to be told, and before long there were many well-authenticated cases of the kind. Inhuman treatment was reported by English and Canadian prisoners, and protests were duly made by the British government through neutral channels.

How were women treated in WW1?

Women in World War 1 How were women treated during world war one? During World war one, if the women which were making the food and sandwiches were not made up to a satisfactory level for the men to eat, they would often be abused and sworn at and told to do their Job correctly.

Were prisoners of war protected by the law of war?

Technically both nations, therefore, were bound only by the general international law of war as it had developed in modern times. Yet even under that law, prisoners of war were to be protected. Soviet prisoners of war were the first victims of the Nazi policy of mass starvation in the east.

Why were prisoners housed in barracks?

Prisoners were also housed in barracks according to ethnicity in order to manage them more easily for the purposes of labour. Location played a difference in the experience of the prisoners. Those who laboured in Murmansk, in Russia’s far northwest, had a far worse time than those kept in the southern parts of the Empire, for example.

Why were German women imprisoned in Britain?

A few German women living in Britain during the war were imprisoned due to suspicions of espionage and sabotage. German POWs in Britain on fatigue duty.

How many POWs were there in Russia?

POWs in Russia. It is estimated that 2.5 million soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Army and 200,000 German soldiers were prisoners of Russia.

Why did Germany use Prisoners as propaganda?

Germany used sometimes-false depictions of the poor conditions in Allied POW camps to inspire its soldiers to fight to the death instead of be taken prisoner. Britain also spread rumours about the persecution of Allied prisoners by the German government.

What was the effect of the Revolution of 1917?

The Revolution of 1917, coupled with poor camp conditions, had the effect of radicalising many prisoners, who felt abandoned by their respective governments. Communism fomented in prisons on both sides of the conflict.

Which country had German POWs work under shellfire on the Verdun battlefield?

France, for example, had German POWs work under shellfire on the Verdun battlefield. French North African camps were also considered particularly severe. In this exclusive piece Helen Rappaport reveals the untold story of modern Russia's obsession with the Romanov family and the place where they died. The British Army in France used German ...

Did the Western Allies repatriate German prisoners?

The Western Allies organised repatriation of German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners after the Armistice. Russia was in the throws of the Bolshevik Revolution and had no system to deal with former prisoners. POWs in Russia, like those held by the Central Powers, had to find their own ways back home.

How many POWs were there in WW1?

Camps. About 8,000,000 men were in POW camps at the end of WW1. The Germans held 2.5 million, Russia had 2.9 POWs, France and Great Britain had about 750,000 and the US held 48,000. Prison conditions in Russia were particularly bad due to the food shortages and starvation was common for both prisoners and civilians.

Where was the German army captured in 1918?

Was taken to Limburg, German y but remained there only a short time; was transferred to many different camps.

What was the most common disease in the Spanish war?

Typhus was rampant in the camps in the first years of the war. The typhus outbreaks resulted in more sanitary conditions and the prisoners were deloused and disinfected as soon as they were interned. Typhus was common in 1915 and the Spanish Influenza epidemic occurred in 1918.

What was the harsh conditions in Germany?

The Germans were known to have held large numbers of prisoners in open fields with the stronger prisoners put to work constructing the infrastructure of the camps . Typhus was rampant in the camps in the first years of the war.

What was the only breakfast given to the men?

Coffee made of acorns was the only breakfast given to the men and a cup of tea for supper, with sometimes soup for dessert. At Camp Rastatt, he fared better, but the food with unwholesome, and he lost flesh. But for the fact the Red Cross sent food from Switzerland would have starved, he said.

Where was the Red Cross stationed in 1918?

Stationed at Allentown, Pa. Sailed for France in May 1918. Was taken a prisoner by the Germans while in active service on the 28th of May, 1918. Was in a prison camp for almost seven months. Through the kindness and efficiency of the Red Cross, he was kept from starving until his release in the late fall of 1918.

Can prisoners be confined?

PRISONERS MAY BE CONFINED. The prisoner of war may be interned in a town or a fort, or even a camp, according to the convenience of his captors, but the enemy may not confine him, except, the law says, as an indispensable measure of safety,” and then only as long as the circumstances make it necessary.

Who was the British soldier who took German prisoners on the Western Front?

British soldier Clifford Lane had a good rapport with some German prisoners taken on the Western Front in 1918. We took some German prisoners and I had the job of escorting them down to the battalion headquarters. On the way down, the Germans put up – on the communication trenches – they put up a terrific bombardment.

Why did British POWs die?

British POWs in the Middle East had a different experience to those on the Western Front. They were generally treated badly, and many died because of the harsh and at times inhumane conditions. Officers, such as Joseph Napier, were mostly spared the more extreme treatment.

How many officers left Holzminden prison?

In July 1918, 29 officers left Holzminden prison via a secret tunnel, in one of the most famous escapes of the war. Holzminden inmate Vernon Coombs described the reaction to the breakout. Do you know, I knew nothing about that tunnel; it was being built for months! I knew nothing about it until after the escape.

Did Italian prisoners come into the compound?

These Italian prisoners used to come into our compound; they were not supposed to be in the compound. They used to come in there – they were in a shocking state, all toes sticking out of their boots, rags – and they used to come round to the cookhouse looking for potato peelings.

Who was captured in the German Spring Offensive?

Unable to take any further part in the fighting, they became Prisoners of War, or POWs. British private, H Stone, was captured on the opening day of the German Spring Offensive, in March 1918. It was a misty morning so we put our tin hats on the floor and sat on them; it was wet.

Did Germany have sterilised prisoners?

They were sterilised, but it looked nasty you see. At the start of the war, there weren’t enough places in Germany to hold all the POWs that were being taken. Camps were hastily constructed for them. Once these were built, prisoners were transported to them from the front.

What was the reality for prisoners of war in World War 1?

What was the reality for prisoners of war in World War One? Dr Heather Jones looks beyond the propaganda to consider the facts around prisoner mistreatment, labour and death rates across Europe. The image of prisoners behind barbed wire gazing at the camera taking their photograph is a striking one. Prisoners of war were central to the propaganda ...

How many prisoners of war did Germany have in 1915?

In 1914, Germany captured far more prisoners of war than Britain or France. By 1915, Germany held over a million prisoners of war. Germany expected a short war and it was not prepared for these numerous soldiers captured on both Germany’s Eastern and Western Fronts.

What was the reprisal for the British and French using forced German prisoner labour on the Western Front?

This was a reprisal for the British and French using forced German prisoner labour on the Western Front: the French had forced German prisoners to work under shellfire for months on the Verdun battlefield. These reprisals marked a significant escalation in prisoner of war mistreatment. Images.

What was the Eastern Front reprisal?

These Eastern Front reprisals were horrific and many prisoners died of cold and starvation. In 1917, Germany kept British and French prisoners of war on the Western Front in dangerous locations, carrying out forced labour. This was a reprisal for the British and French using forced German prisoner labour on the Western Front: ...

Why did Germany send prisoners to the Eastern Front?

In 1916, Germany sent newly captured British and French prisoners to carry out forced labour on the Eastern Front in a reprisal action for the French sending German prisoners of war to camps in North Africa and the British using German prisoners as workers for the British army in France. These Eastern Front reprisals were horrific ...

How many people died from typhus in 1915?

Typhus also broke out in many camps in camps in the Russian empire: in winter 1915-16, typhus ravaged Totskoe camp where at least 10,000 men died out of 25,000. The typhus epidemic led to the development of better hygiene conditions in prisoner of war camps in Germany, with modern latrines, disinfection vats to remove lice from clothing ...

What was the image of prisoners of war behind barbed wire?

The image of prisoners of war behind barbed wire in the prisoner of war camp was one of the most widespread images of the war. However, it was also rather misleading as by 1915 states and armies had started to think differently about how best to house and treat prisoners. The large prisoner of war camp on a country’s Home Front was only one place ...

What were the conditions in prison in 1933?

Whilst the majority of those who were imprisoned in 1933 survived, the conditions in which they were held were horrific and inhumane. Across almost all camps there was a lack of facilities, such as heating, beds and washrooms. Where these were available, they usually had to be shared between hundreds of prisoners.

What was the defining feature of the early camps and inmates were subject to regular beatings and humiliation?

As a result, disease was common. Torture was the defining common feature of the early camps and inmates were subject to regular beatings and humiliation. In addition to this, access to facilities was often withheld as a form of torture and control.

What were the early camps in Nazi Germany?

A range of different groups operated and organised the early camps in Nazi Germany: the SS , the SA , the local police and prison guards. Most early prisoners were held in conventional prisons, which fell under the jurisdiction of the existing local prison guards and authorities.

What happened after the Nazis rose to power?

Shortly after the Nazi rise to power and the Reichstag Fire, they arrested thousands of their opponents. The scale of these arrests led to the creation of early concentration camps to hold the prisoners.

When did the SS shut down the camp system?

Where these facilities were present, they were usually in a poor and unsanitary condition. By the end of 1933, most of these early makeshift camps had been shut down. By the end of 1934, following the Night of Long Knives, the camp system was firmly in the hands of the SS.

Who ran the first concentration camp?

Many of the early camps were run by the SA and the SS. One example of this is Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, which was established on 22 March 1933. The brutality of the SA and SS guards was considerably more intense in comparison to prisons.

Where was the Esterwegen concentration camp?

Esterwegen was an early Nazi concentration camp within a series of camps first established in the Emsland district of Germany. It was established in the summer of 1933 as a concentration camp for 2000 so-called political Schutzhäftlinge (protective custody prisoners) and was for a time the second largest concentration camp after Dachau.

What was the Nazi policy on Soviet prisoners of war?

From the very beginning, German policy on the treatment of Soviet prisoners of war (POWs) was determined by Nazi ideology. German political and military leaders regarded Soviet POWs not only as racially less valuable but as potential enemies, obstacles in the German conquest of "living space." The Nazi regime claimed that it was under no obligation for the humane care of prisoners of war from the Red Army#N#View This Term in the Glossary#N#because the Soviet Union had not ratified the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, nor had it specifically declared its commitment to the 1907 Hague Convention on the Rules of War. Technically both nations, therefore, were bound only by the general international law of war as it had developed in modern times. Yet even under that law, prisoners of war were to be protected.

How did the onset of winter affect the death of Soviet POWs?

The onset of winter accelerated the mass death of Soviet POWs, because so many had little or no protection from the cold. Even in POW camps in Germany, Soviet POWs had often been left for months to vegetate in trenches, dugouts or sod houses. In the occupied eastern territories conditions were even worse.

How many Soviet prisoners were executed in 1941?

In early September 1941, 600 Soviet POWs were selected for execution. Hoess decided to gas them with Zyklon B, also known as hydrogen cyanide, in the Auschwitz I gas chamber. The experimental gassing here also included 250 inmates who had been designated unfit for work.

What was the effect of Soviet POWs being transported by train?

When Soviet POWs were transported by train, the Armed Forces High Command permitted only open freight cars to be used. Sometimes days went by without the prisoners receiving any rations. This resulted in an enormous loss of life during winter months.

What was the bread that the POWs ate?

The POWs were often provided, for example, only special "Russian" bread made from sugar beet husks and straw flour. Suffering from malnutrition and nearing starvation, numerous reports from the late summer and fall of 1941 show that in many camps the desperate POWs tried to ease their hunger by eating grass and leaves.

What was the first victim of Nazi starvation?

Copy Link Link copied! Soviet prisoners of war were the first victims of the Nazi policy of mass starvation in the east. In August 1941, the German army set a ration of just 2,200 calories per day for working Soviet prisoners of war .

How many people were killed in the Gross Rosen concentration camp?

The concentration camps proved an ideal location for executions. In Gross-Rosen concentration camp, for example, the SS killed more than 65,000 Soviet POWS by feeding them only a thin soup of grass, water, and salt for six months.

Why were women not allowed to work in factories?

Women were not even permitted to work in factories because it was seen as being 'unladylike' for them to be exposed to an environment of that nature.

What would happen if the women who made the food and sandwiches were not made up to a satisfactory level for the

During World war one, if the women which were making the food and sandwiches were not made up to a satisfactory level for the men to eat, they would often be abused and sworn at and told to do their Job correctly.

How many Ruthenes were executed in the war?

In Galicia and the Ukraine, Habsburg troops killed a large number of civilians suspected of betrayal. As many as 30,000 Ruthenes (Habsburg Ukrainians) may have been executed without trial. Anton Holzer has published a collection of photographs from Austria-Hungary’s war that amply document the arrest of "suspects", the hanging of civilians, alleged partisans, and spies, the shooting of captured soldiers, and the "grinning of the hangmen" (the title of Holzer’s book, Das Lächeln der Henker ).

What was the international discourse on the nature of civilized war and atrocities?

An international discourse on the nature of "civilized" war and "atrocities" was, in other words, well developed by 1914. This was evident in the response to the Balkan Wars. Liberal public opinion in the West condemned the atrocities committed by virtually all sides.

What was the purpose of the Hague Conventions?

The Hague conventions, in particular the convention "Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land" (the 4 th appendix to the convention of 1907), attempted to confine the effects of military violence to combatants. That was the perspective in western and central Europe, and North America.

How many Belgians were deported to Germany in 1916?

In the second phase, with the German war economy’s insatiable demand for labour, 58,432 Belgians were deported to Germany in late 1916; another 62,155 were forced to work behind the front in France and Belgium, sometimes under fire from Allied guns, and often subjected to corporal punishment.

What happened to the Congo under Leopold II?

After international and domestic Belgian criticism of the brutal methods of exploitation in the Congo under Leopold II, King of the Belgians (1835-1909), Belgium annexed the territory and reformed its administration. Forced labour was banned, and the conditions of the indigenous population improved rapidly.

How many Boer civilians died in the South African War?

Two other cases also had repercussions in the international public sphere: the death of some 25,000 Boer civilians in the British concentration camps in the South African War, and the German army’s “war of annihilation” against the Herero in South-West Africa.

Why did German U-boat warfare not have space?

The manner in which it was conducted, however, flouted the laws of war and customary international law, because the law of the sea and common humanity held that the crew and passengers of sinking ships had to be rescued. U-boats did not have the space to do so.

POWs in Russia

Location of Russian Pow Camps

Pow Labour in Russia

Imprisonment in Russia Was A Life-Altering Experience

• Personal reports of POWs in Russia during the First World War include accounts of shame due to poor personal hygiene, despair, resolve and even adventure. Some read voraciously and learned new languages, while some even married Russian women. The Revolution of 1917, coupled with poor camp conditions, had the effect of radicalising many prisoners, w...

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Repatriation