why are generals given special treatment as pows

How were POWs treated in WW2?

However, nations vary in their dedication to following these laws, and historically the treatment of POWs has varied greatly. During World War II, Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany (towards Soviet POWs and Western Allied commandos) were notorious for atrocities against prisoners of war.

What is the International Convention relative to the treatment of POWs?

The basic international instrument, regulating the POW‘s status at the time was the 1929 the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, signed by 47 governments.

What happened to the POWs at the end of the war?

The War Ministry in Tokyo issued an order at the end of the war to kill all surviving POWs. No direct access to the POWs was provided to the International Red Cross. Escapes among Caucasian prisoners were almost impossible because of the difficulty of men of Caucasian descent hiding in Asiatic societies.

What did the US do with Italian POWs in WW2?

Ultimately though, the government decided instead to loosen POW work requirements prohibiting Italian prisoners from carrying out war-related work. About 34,000 Italian POWs were active in 1944 and 1945 on 66 US military installations, performing support roles such as quartermaster, repair, and engineering work as Italian Service Units.

How were POWs supposed to be treated?

POWs must be treated humanely in all circumstances. They are protected against any act of violence, as well as against intimidation, insults, and public curiosity. IHL also defines minimum conditions of detention covering such issues as accommodation, food, clothing, hygiene and medical care.

Why did the Japanese treat POWs so badly?

The reasons for the Japanese behaving as they did were complex. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) indoctrinated its soldiers to believe that surrender was dishonourable. POWs were therefore thought to be unworthy of respect. The IJA also relied on physical punishment to discipline its own troops.

Can POWs be tortured?

It is a war crime to willfully kill, mistreat, or torture POWs, or to willfully cause great suffering, or serious injury to body or health. No torture or other form of coercion may be inflicted on POWs to obtain from them any type of information. Reprisals against prisoners of war are strictly forbidden.

Why do armies take POWs?

Belligerents hold prisoners of war in custody for a range of legitimate and illegitimate reasons, such as isolating them from the enemy combatants still in the field (releasing and repatriating them in an orderly manner after hostilities), demonstrating military victory, punishing them, prosecuting them for war crimes, ...

How did the Japanese treat female prisoners of war?

Unprepared for coping with so many captured European prisoners, the Japanese held those who surrendered to them in contempt, especially the women. The men at least could be put to work as common laborers, but women and children were "useless mouths." This attitude would dictate Japanese policy until the end of the war.

Did the Japanese execute POWs?

On October 7, 1943, Rear Adm. Shigematsu Sakaibara, commander of the Japanese garrison on the island, orders the execution of 96 Americans POWs, claiming they were trying to make radio contact with U.S. forces.

How much do POWs get paid?

Captive or POW Pay and Allowance Entitlements: Soldiers are entitled to all pay and allowances that were authorized prior to the POW period. Soldiers who are in a POW status are authorized payment of 50% of the worldwide average per diem rate for each day held in captive status.

Can POWs be tried for war crimes?

POWs cannot be tried or punished simply for their participation in the armed conflict, they may be prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity and for common crimes under the laws of the detaining power or international law.

Can you take photos of prisoners of war?

The Third Geneva Convention of 1949 (the Prisoners of War Convention) contains no provisions specifically regulating the circum- stances in which prisoners of war can be photographed.

Can prisoners of war be killed?

Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention.

What happens to POW after war?

During the conflict prisoners might be repatriated or delivered to a neutral nation for custody. At the end of hostilities all prisoners are to be released and repatriated without delay, except those held for trial or serving sentences imposed by judicial processes.

Can POWs be made to work?

CATEGORIES OF PRISONERS OF WAR WHO MAY BE COMPELLED TO WORK In general, Article 49 of the 1949 Convention provides that all prisoners of war, except commissioned officers, may be compelled to work.

What did the CS government do to help the prisoners?

However, as a general rule the CS government did what they could to alleviate the suffering of prisoners while the US government adopted deliberate policies of torture, starvation and exposure.

What were the conditions in the Confederate South?

Most of the poor conditions in Confederate South (CS) POW camps were NOT deliberate. Even in the worst of them, like Andersonville, prisoners received the same rations that their guards were issued. Most of the Union prisoners that died at Andersonville died of disease and NOT for lack of rations or shelter and their guards died of those diseases at the same rate the prisoners did.

Did the CS refuse to exchange black troops?

Furthermore, the CS government did everything but crawl to Washington on hands and knees and beg Lincoln to exchange prisoners. Yes, I have heard all the Yankee excuses about the CS refusing to exchange black US troops. Initially, they did refuse to do this, but a few months later they offered to exchange black troops one for one the same as whites and they were STILL refused by ole Abe. Abe even refused the CS offer to exchange ONLY the sick and disabled and even refused to send medicine through the lines for the exclusive use of union POW’s. (But, he could shed crocodile tears for “Mrs. Bixby’s 5 sons” couldn’t he? And, actually that was a total fraud made up for propaganda purposes.)

Who will study the possibility of allowing the Red Cross Associations of some countries to visit the prisoners?

4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Political Department will study the possibility of allowing the Red Cross Associations of some countries to visit the prisoners.

Why do we need to concentrate graves?

With regards to the graves of those who have died, they need to be concentrated into a number of central locations to facilitate administration and so that later we can return the remains to their families.

What did the Nixon administration do in 1969?

In the spring of 1969 the Nixon Administration, apparently for both humanitarian and domestic political reasons, initiated a massive public relations campaign to demand that the North Vietnamese adhere to the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of Prisoners of War. The United States also officially raised this subject in the recently-initiated Vietnam Peace Conference in Paris.

Why did North Vietnam refuse to provide the names of the prisoners?

The North Vietnamese refused to provide the International Red Cross with the names of Americans who were being held prisoner in North Vietnam and did not allow regular inspection visits by the International Red Cross to ensure that the prisoners were being treated properly in accordance with the terms of the 1947 Geneva Convention on POWs.

What was North Vietnam's position on American prisoners?

From the very beginning of the war, North Vietnam’s stated position was that American prisoners captured in North Vietnam were “war criminals” who had committed crimes against ...

When did North Vietnamese prisoners get better?

According to information provided by American prisoners after their release in 1973, North Vietnamese treatment of the POWs underwent a sudden and marked improvement in the fall of 1969. [1]

Should prisoners attend church services?

As for the issue of religious services, arrangements should be made for them to attend church services regularly. We should assign a number of good [reliable] Catholic priests or Protestant pastors (depending on the prisoners’ religion) to this task in order to combine holding church services with our efforts to educate them.

Who issued special orders concerning the treatment of German prisoners?

One month before the end of World War 11, General Eisenhower issued special orders concerning the treatment of German Prisoners and specific in the language of those orders was this statement,

Why did Patton turn his prisoners loose?

As soon as the war was over, General George Patton simply turned his prisoners loose to fend for themselves and find their way home as best they could. Eisenhower was furious, and issued a specific order to Patton, to turn these men over to the DEF camps.

Which command in the European Theater was the only command to release significant numbers of Germans?

General Patton’s Third Army was the only command in the European Theater to release significant numbers of Germans.

Who said any man who brings me an SS prisoner will be court Marshalled?

A reader of my blog recently made a comment in which he stated that General Patton told his men: “Any man who brings me an SS prisoner will be court Marshalled!”?

What does "POW" mean in the military?

Person who is held in custody by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. "POW" redirects here. For other uses, see POW (disambiguation) and Prisoner of war (disambiguation). Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war in Russia during World War I, 1915.

How many POWs died in Russia?

It was particularly bad in Russia, where starvation was common for prisoners and civilians alike; a quarter of the over 2 million POWs held there died. Nearly 375,000 of the 500,000 Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war taken by Russians perished in Siberia from smallpox and typhus.

Why was the Military Code of Conduct created?

It was created primarily in response to the breakdown of leadership and organization, specifically when U.S. forces were POWs during the Korean War .

Why did Japan not treat prisoners of war?

The Empire of Japan, which had signed but never ratified the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, did not treat prisoners of war in accordance with international agreements, including provisions of the Hague Conventions, either during the Second Sino-Japanese War or during the Pacific War, because the Japanese viewed surrender as dishonorable. Moreover, according to a directive ratified on 5 August 1937 by Hirohito, the constraints of the Hague Conventions were explicitly removed on Chinese prisoners.

How many prisoners of war were released in Germany?

Celebration for returning POWs, Berlin 1920. At the end of the war in 1918 there were believed to be 140,000 British prisoners of war in Germany, including thousands of internees held in neutral Switzerland.

What is a prisoner of war?

A prisoner of war ( POW) is a non-combatant —whether a military member, an irregular military fighter, or a civilian —who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.

Why did King Henry V kill prisoners of war?

This was done in retaliation for the French killing of the boys and other non-combatants handling the baggage and equipment of the army, and because the French were attacking again and Henry was afraid that they would break through and free the prisoners to fight again.

What convention did Germany follow in the treatment of American and British servicemen in POW camps?

Germany in general followed the 1929 Geneva Convention in the treatment of American and British servicemen in POW camps, with little difference to be found in treatment with Americans and British. POW‘s were not to be individually confined, and the food served them should have been equal to that served to German troops.

How many German POW camps were there?

The prisoners were held in some fifty German POW camps, of several types. These included the Stalag (Stammlager, permanent camps for noncommissioned officers and enlisted men), Stalag Luft (Luftwaffestammlager, permanent camps for air force personnel), and Oflag (Offizierslager, permanent officers’ camps). American POWs were found in many of the ...

Why did the British and American peoples provide books to prisoners?

The American and British peoples, through the various agencies which undertook the task of providing POWs with books, made it possible for prisoners to obtain books which were so necessary and useful. It helped the prisoners to occupy their time and keep their mental capacity.

How many Russian prisoners were there in the first year of the war?

Dealing with Russian prisoners became even more complicated as the amount of captives at the first year of war reached 5 million, creating problems even with simple accommodation. Russian soldiers, captured in the great encirclements, were often left without food for weeks, causing starvation and typhus.

What were the major features of World War II?

One of the significant features of World War II was a great number of prisoners of war (POW‘s) to be kept both by Allies and Axis. The way those prisoners were treated differed greatly dependently on the nation of a prisoner and the country of imprisonment. This paper discusses the treatment of the American prisoners captured on ...

What was the right of British prisoners?

An important right for the British and American prisoners was a right to send 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 usually boredom.

What was the right of a prisoner of war?

Every prisoner of war was entitled to adequate food and medical care and had the right to exchange correspondence and receive parcels. He was required to observe ordinary military discipline and courtesy, but he could attempt to escape at his own risk. Once recaptured, he was not to be punished for his attempt.

Who reviews the classification of prisoners?

If a contractor is delegated the authority to classify prisoners, the classification system and instrument should be approved and individual classification decisions reviewed by the contracting agency.

How often should a prisoner receive a mental health assessment?

Each prisoner should receive a comprehensive medical and mental health assessment by qualified medical and mental health professionals no later than

What are the restrictions placed on prisoners?

Restrictions placed on prisoners should be necessary and proportionate to the legitimate objectives for which those restrictions are imposed. (d) Correctional authorities should respect the human rights and dignity of prisoners. No prisoner should be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or conditions.

How should correctional authorities facilitate prisoners' reintegration into free society?

Correctional authorities should facilitate prisoners’ reintegration into free society by implementing appropriate conditions of confinement and by sustained planning for such reintegration. (c) A correctional facility should maintain order and should protect prisoners from harm from other prisoners and staff.

What should be provided to prisoners?

(f) Prisoners should be provided basic educational materials relating to disease prevention, good health, hygiene, and proper usage of medication.

Should prisoners receive preferential treatment?

No prisoner should receive preferential treatment, including improved living or work conditions or an improved likelihood of early release, in exchange for participation in behavioral or biomedical research, unless the purpose of the research is to evaluate the outcomes associated with such preferential treatment.

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• The present Convention shall be applied with the cooperation and under the scrutiny of the Protecting Powers whose duty it is to safeguard the interests of the Parties to the conflict. For this purpose, the Protecting Powers may appoint, apart from their diplomatic or consular staff, delegates from amongst their own nationals or the nationals of ot...

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