Emily Crawford
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199578962
- eISBN:
- 9780191722608
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199578962.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Public International Law
Currently, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) also known as the law of armed conflict, makes the distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts. International armed ...
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Currently, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) also known as the law of armed conflict, makes the distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts. International armed conflicts are regulated by more treaties than their non-international counterparts. Furthermore, the regulation of international armed conflicts is also considerably more comprehensive than that offered for participants in and victims of non-international armed conflicts. This book asks whether the legal distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts remains viable or whether international law should move to maintain its consonance with the situations it seeks to regulate by developing a unified legal regime applicable in all armed conflicts. There is considerable precedent to support moves towards the elimination of the legal distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts. This book argues that IHL, a law which has, as one of its primary aims, the protection of the person in times of armed conflict, should not distinguish between types of armed conflict, specifically in how the law treats the vulnerable in times of armed conflict – those hors de combat due to illness and injury, and those deprived of their liberty through capture or surrenderLess
Currently, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) also known as the law of armed conflict, makes the distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts. International armed conflicts are regulated by more treaties than their non-international counterparts. Furthermore, the regulation of international armed conflicts is also considerably more comprehensive than that offered for participants in and victims of non-international armed conflicts. This book asks whether the legal distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts remains viable or whether international law should move to maintain its consonance with the situations it seeks to regulate by developing a unified legal regime applicable in all armed conflicts. There is considerable precedent to support moves towards the elimination of the legal distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts. This book argues that IHL, a law which has, as one of its primary aims, the protection of the person in times of armed conflict, should not distinguish between types of armed conflict, specifically in how the law treats the vulnerable in times of armed conflict – those hors de combat due to illness and injury, and those deprived of their liberty through capture or surrender
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This book examines how the United Kingdom government went about protecting the interests, lives, and well‐being of its prisoners of war (POWs) in Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1945. The comparatively ...
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This book examines how the United Kingdom government went about protecting the interests, lives, and well‐being of its prisoners of war (POWs) in Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1945. The comparatively good treatment of British prisoners in Germany has largely been explained by historians in terms of rational self‐interest, reciprocity, and influence of Nazi racism, which accorded Anglo‐Saxon servicemen a higher status than other categories of POWs. By contrast, this book offers a more nuanced picture of Anglo‐German relations and the politics of prisoners of war. Based on British, German, United States, and Swiss sources, it argues that German benevolence towards British POWs stemmed from London's success in working through neutral intermediaries, notably its protecting power (the United States and Switzerland) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to promote German compliance with the 1929 Geneva convention, and building and sustaining a relationship with the German government that was capable of withstanding the corrosive effects of five years of warfare. It expands our understanding of both the formulation and execution of POW policy in both capitals, and sheds new light on the dynamics in inter‐belligerent relations during the war. It suggests that, while the Second World War should be rightly acknowledged as a conflict in which traditional constraints were routinely abandoned in the pursuit of political, strategic, or ideological goals, in this important area of Anglo‐German relations, customary international norms were both resilient and effective.Less
This book examines how the United Kingdom government went about protecting the interests, lives, and well‐being of its prisoners of war (POWs) in Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1945. The comparatively good treatment of British prisoners in Germany has largely been explained by historians in terms of rational self‐interest, reciprocity, and influence of Nazi racism, which accorded Anglo‐Saxon servicemen a higher status than other categories of POWs. By contrast, this book offers a more nuanced picture of Anglo‐German relations and the politics of prisoners of war. Based on British, German, United States, and Swiss sources, it argues that German benevolence towards British POWs stemmed from London's success in working through neutral intermediaries, notably its protecting power (the United States and Switzerland) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to promote German compliance with the 1929 Geneva convention, and building and sustaining a relationship with the German government that was capable of withstanding the corrosive effects of five years of warfare. It expands our understanding of both the formulation and execution of POW policy in both capitals, and sheds new light on the dynamics in inter‐belligerent relations during the war. It suggests that, while the Second World War should be rightly acknowledged as a conflict in which traditional constraints were routinely abandoned in the pursuit of political, strategic, or ideological goals, in this important area of Anglo‐German relations, customary international norms were both resilient and effective.
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter charts the evolution of the western European prisoner of war ‘regime’. It shows how Britain's experience of captivity during the Great War contributed to the development of a ...
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This chapter charts the evolution of the western European prisoner of war ‘regime’. It shows how Britain's experience of captivity during the Great War contributed to the development of a distinctively benign view on the issue of captivity, both within military and government circles and within society at large. It examines the part played by the United Kingdom government in drafting the 1929 Geneva Convention for POWs, and shows how closely the resultant POW regime reflected British interests and experience.Less
This chapter charts the evolution of the western European prisoner of war ‘regime’. It shows how Britain's experience of captivity during the Great War contributed to the development of a distinctively benign view on the issue of captivity, both within military and government circles and within society at large. It examines the part played by the United Kingdom government in drafting the 1929 Geneva Convention for POWs, and shows how closely the resultant POW regime reflected British interests and experience.
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter traces British policy towards POWs from the start of the war until the end of 1941, and highlights the steps taken to encourage German compliance with the POW regime. The development of ...
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This chapter traces British policy towards POWs from the start of the war until the end of 1941, and highlights the steps taken to encourage German compliance with the POW regime. The development of a consistent policy towards its POWs was frequently compromised by Winston Churchill's refusal to place the prisoners' humanitarian interests before the country's strategic and military objectives. The problem was exacerbated by the lack of care and attention paid by those in power to Britain's own responsibilities as a detaining power. Notwithstanding these difficulties and the outbreak of Hitler's ideological war of annihilation against the Soviet Union in July 1941, substantial progress had been made towards forging an effective working relationship with the German regime over the treatment of POWs. The sense of stability that had developed by the autumn of 1941 was thrown into doubt by Adolf Hitler's last‐minute refusal to countenance the repatriation of British sick and wounded POWs in October 1941, an act which called into question Germany's long‐term commitment to cooperative relations with the British government.Less
This chapter traces British policy towards POWs from the start of the war until the end of 1941, and highlights the steps taken to encourage German compliance with the POW regime. The development of a consistent policy towards its POWs was frequently compromised by Winston Churchill's refusal to place the prisoners' humanitarian interests before the country's strategic and military objectives. The problem was exacerbated by the lack of care and attention paid by those in power to Britain's own responsibilities as a detaining power. Notwithstanding these difficulties and the outbreak of Hitler's ideological war of annihilation against the Soviet Union in July 1941, substantial progress had been made towards forging an effective working relationship with the German regime over the treatment of POWs. The sense of stability that had developed by the autumn of 1941 was thrown into doubt by Adolf Hitler's last‐minute refusal to countenance the repatriation of British sick and wounded POWs in October 1941, an act which called into question Germany's long‐term commitment to cooperative relations with the British government.
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter addresses the ‘parcels crisis’ of 1940–41 and shows how the collapse of the supply of relief parcels to German POW camps after the fall of France galvanized the prisoners and their ...
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This chapter addresses the ‘parcels crisis’ of 1940–41 and shows how the collapse of the supply of relief parcels to German POW camps after the fall of France galvanized the prisoners and their supporters in the United Kingdom and expatriate communities abroad into seizing the initiative and demanding a more responsive attitude from both the government and the Joint War Organization (JWO) of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St John of Jerusalem. The crisis transformed POW wellbeing into an issue of domestic political importance, and gave rise to a powerful POW lobby group within parliament and the country at large. It also forced the government to override the independence of the JWO and assume greater responsibility for POW wellbeing and Britain's relations with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).Less
This chapter addresses the ‘parcels crisis’ of 1940–41 and shows how the collapse of the supply of relief parcels to German POW camps after the fall of France galvanized the prisoners and their supporters in the United Kingdom and expatriate communities abroad into seizing the initiative and demanding a more responsive attitude from both the government and the Joint War Organization (JWO) of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St John of Jerusalem. The crisis transformed POW wellbeing into an issue of domestic political importance, and gave rise to a powerful POW lobby group within parliament and the country at large. It also forced the government to override the independence of the JWO and assume greater responsibility for POW wellbeing and Britain's relations with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter charts the decline in Anglo‐German POW relations from late 1941 until December 1942. It shows how mutual confidence diminished under the pressure of events, on and off the battlefield, ...
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This chapter charts the decline in Anglo‐German POW relations from late 1941 until December 1942. It shows how mutual confidence diminished under the pressure of events, on and off the battlefield, in Europe and the Far East, and how authorities on both sides came to adopt a more restrictive attitude towards their reciprocal relations. The chapter closes with a discussion of the ‘shackling crisis’ of late 1942 and demonstrates how, contrary to perceived wisdom, Churchill's determination to match German reprisals, while failing to bring the crisis to a satisfactory conclusion, had a salutary effect on German attitudes towards the POW regime. Though the level of cooperation declined, both sides remained conscious of the value of the POW regime and were prepared to coordinate their behaviour for mutual benefit when required.Less
This chapter charts the decline in Anglo‐German POW relations from late 1941 until December 1942. It shows how mutual confidence diminished under the pressure of events, on and off the battlefield, in Europe and the Far East, and how authorities on both sides came to adopt a more restrictive attitude towards their reciprocal relations. The chapter closes with a discussion of the ‘shackling crisis’ of late 1942 and demonstrates how, contrary to perceived wisdom, Churchill's determination to match German reprisals, while failing to bring the crisis to a satisfactory conclusion, had a salutary effect on German attitudes towards the POW regime. Though the level of cooperation declined, both sides remained conscious of the value of the POW regime and were prepared to coordinate their behaviour for mutual benefit when required.
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This introductory chapter surveys the current literature on British prisoners of war in Germany during the Second World War and the state of the archival sources. It also highlights some of the core ...
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This introductory chapter surveys the current literature on British prisoners of war in Germany during the Second World War and the state of the archival sources. It also highlights some of the core themes that will be developed in subsequent chapters: the domestic political context within which POW policy was made in London, notably the existence of an attentive lobby group in the form of the prisoners' next‐of‐kin, the Dominion governments' influence over UK policy‐making, the way in which POW issues fed into Britain's broader political relationship with the German government, and finally the particularities of inter‐belligerent ‘POW diplomacy’ and the key role played by neutral intermediaries.Less
This introductory chapter surveys the current literature on British prisoners of war in Germany during the Second World War and the state of the archival sources. It also highlights some of the core themes that will be developed in subsequent chapters: the domestic political context within which POW policy was made in London, notably the existence of an attentive lobby group in the form of the prisoners' next‐of‐kin, the Dominion governments' influence over UK policy‐making, the way in which POW issues fed into Britain's broader political relationship with the German government, and finally the particularities of inter‐belligerent ‘POW diplomacy’ and the key role played by neutral intermediaries.
Emily Crawford
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199578962
- eISBN:
- 9780191722608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199578962.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Public International Law
This chapter examines the nature of POW and combatant status, exploring the origins and historical evolution of combatant/POW status. The chapter looks at what combatant/POW status comprises, that ...
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This chapter examines the nature of POW and combatant status, exploring the origins and historical evolution of combatant/POW status. The chapter looks at what combatant/POW status comprises, that is, what rules and responsibilities the status entails. The chapter looks at why the status is important, and what consequences result from denial or loss of combatant/POW designation. Finally, this chapter also examines why combatant/POW status is denied to participants in non-international armed conflicts.Less
This chapter examines the nature of POW and combatant status, exploring the origins and historical evolution of combatant/POW status. The chapter looks at what combatant/POW status comprises, that is, what rules and responsibilities the status entails. The chapter looks at why the status is important, and what consequences result from denial or loss of combatant/POW designation. Finally, this chapter also examines why combatant/POW status is denied to participants in non-international armed conflicts.
Mark Rawlinson
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198184560
- eISBN:
- 9780191674303
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198184560.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century Literature and Modernism
This chapter examines the critical perspectives on the insularity of Britain at war which were achieved in wartime writings by and about prisoners of war in Europe. Stories of daring escape, rather ...
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This chapter examines the critical perspectives on the insularity of Britain at war which were achieved in wartime writings by and about prisoners of war in Europe. Stories of daring escape, rather than re-educative confinement, were predominant in immediately post-war culture, but it is argued that these forms of remembrance were determined in part by the wartime symbols and concepts.Less
This chapter examines the critical perspectives on the insularity of Britain at war which were achieved in wartime writings by and about prisoners of war in Europe. Stories of daring escape, rather than re-educative confinement, were predominant in immediately post-war culture, but it is argued that these forms of remembrance were determined in part by the wartime symbols and concepts.
Emily Crawford
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199578962
- eISBN:
- 9780191722608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199578962.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Public International Law
This chapter compares the scope and interpretation of the provisions of Geneva Convention III relating to prisoners of war, and sees whether the law of non-international armed conflicts includes ...
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This chapter compares the scope and interpretation of the provisions of Geneva Convention III relating to prisoners of war, and sees whether the law of non-international armed conflicts includes equivalent provisions. In doing so, this chapter demonstrates that the bulk of the POW rights and protections of Convention III can be found in the law of non-international armed conflict.Less
This chapter compares the scope and interpretation of the provisions of Geneva Convention III relating to prisoners of war, and sees whether the law of non-international armed conflicts includes equivalent provisions. In doing so, this chapter demonstrates that the bulk of the POW rights and protections of Convention III can be found in the law of non-international armed conflict.
Roger B. Manning
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199261499
- eISBN:
- 9780191718625
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199261499.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
Professional officers who kept abreast of military innovations understood the need to discipline their soldiers and keep them focused on achieving military goals. Armies which foraged and plundered ...
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Professional officers who kept abreast of military innovations understood the need to discipline their soldiers and keep them focused on achieving military goals. Armies which foraged and plundered often became involved in secondary wars with local communities, and forfeited the goodwill of those who might offer intelligence and assistance. Regular payment of troops and developed systems of supply obviated the need for plunder, while improved discipline reduced the incidence of mutiny. The articles of war of various British and Irish armies — which were based upon mainland European models — attempted to regulate crimes and depredations by soldiers, generally secured the more humane treatment of prisoners of war, and restrained plundering and atrocities committed against civilian populations. Ireland was an exception to this trend to improve discipline and limit the destructiveness of war. Here, the parliamentary forces, which became captives of their own anti-Catholic propaganda and the determination of Cromwell to achieve total victory, pursued a policy of ‘fire and sword’ and committed atrocities which made the war in Ireland more bitter.Less
Professional officers who kept abreast of military innovations understood the need to discipline their soldiers and keep them focused on achieving military goals. Armies which foraged and plundered often became involved in secondary wars with local communities, and forfeited the goodwill of those who might offer intelligence and assistance. Regular payment of troops and developed systems of supply obviated the need for plunder, while improved discipline reduced the incidence of mutiny. The articles of war of various British and Irish armies — which were based upon mainland European models — attempted to regulate crimes and depredations by soldiers, generally secured the more humane treatment of prisoners of war, and restrained plundering and atrocities committed against civilian populations. Ireland was an exception to this trend to improve discipline and limit the destructiveness of war. Here, the parliamentary forces, which became captives of their own anti-Catholic propaganda and the determination of Cromwell to achieve total victory, pursued a policy of ‘fire and sword’ and committed atrocities which made the war in Ireland more bitter.
Susan L. Carruthers
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520257306
- eISBN:
- 9780520944794
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520257306.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter focuses on the American prisoners who chose not to accept repatriation after the Korean War. Overlooking a long history of unredeemed captives refusing to rejoin their Euro-American ...
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This chapter focuses on the American prisoners who chose not to accept repatriation after the Korean War. Overlooking a long history of unredeemed captives refusing to rejoin their Euro-American communities, commentators in the 1950s repeatedly stressed that never before in history had Americans elected to remain with their captors. No wonder, then, that a story burdened with such radical implications sustained attention throughout the 1950s and beyond, inspiring press reports, scholarly analysis, novels, teleplays, and movies. Yet the rapid gyrations of judgment that saw these men deemed successively (or simultaneously) victims, invalids, dupes, “rats,” and “cheese-eaters” also track larger anxieties generated by America's first mass experience of communist captivity. What the unredeemed captives experienced with particular force, three thousand other returning prisoners would encounter with varying degrees of intensity as their individual records were appraised, then collectively reevaluated. Their captivity came to function as something akin to a Rorschach test for social commentators in the 1950s. The shapes Americans discerned there mapped an intricate set of Cold War anxieties over gender roles, sexuality, parenting, class, and race, concerns anticipated in constructions of the nonrepatriates' characterological deficiencies.Less
This chapter focuses on the American prisoners who chose not to accept repatriation after the Korean War. Overlooking a long history of unredeemed captives refusing to rejoin their Euro-American communities, commentators in the 1950s repeatedly stressed that never before in history had Americans elected to remain with their captors. No wonder, then, that a story burdened with such radical implications sustained attention throughout the 1950s and beyond, inspiring press reports, scholarly analysis, novels, teleplays, and movies. Yet the rapid gyrations of judgment that saw these men deemed successively (or simultaneously) victims, invalids, dupes, “rats,” and “cheese-eaters” also track larger anxieties generated by America's first mass experience of communist captivity. What the unredeemed captives experienced with particular force, three thousand other returning prisoners would encounter with varying degrees of intensity as their individual records were appraised, then collectively reevaluated. Their captivity came to function as something akin to a Rorschach test for social commentators in the 1950s. The shapes Americans discerned there mapped an intricate set of Cold War anxieties over gender roles, sexuality, parenting, class, and race, concerns anticipated in constructions of the nonrepatriates' characterological deficiencies.
Neil Boister and Robert Cryer
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199278527
- eISBN:
- 9780191706950
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278527.003.0008
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
Although the Tokyo IMT focused to a great degree on the crimes against peace charges, the other significant counts of the indictment related to a crime were clearly established in international law ...
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Although the Tokyo IMT focused to a great degree on the crimes against peace charges, the other significant counts of the indictment related to a crime were clearly established in international law at the time. This chapter discusses the findings of the Tokyo IMT on two aspects of these counts. The first of these is the findings on the law, including the applicability of the Hague Regulations, the 1929 Geneva Convention, and customary law. The second is the findings on the facts, such as the Bataan Death March, the Rape of Nanking, and the Burma-Siam railway. The findings of the majority are contrasted with those of Judge Pal, who took a very sceptical approach to the evidence.Less
Although the Tokyo IMT focused to a great degree on the crimes against peace charges, the other significant counts of the indictment related to a crime were clearly established in international law at the time. This chapter discusses the findings of the Tokyo IMT on two aspects of these counts. The first of these is the findings on the law, including the applicability of the Hague Regulations, the 1929 Geneva Convention, and customary law. The second is the findings on the facts, such as the Bataan Death March, the Rape of Nanking, and the Burma-Siam railway. The findings of the majority are contrasted with those of Judge Pal, who took a very sceptical approach to the evidence.
Barbara Hately-Broad
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719078545
- eISBN:
- 9781781702352
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719078545.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Social History
This chapter discusses the issue of the provision of information, news and support to the families of prisoners of war. The information about prisoners was largely collected from escaped or ...
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This chapter discusses the issue of the provision of information, news and support to the families of prisoners of war. The information about prisoners was largely collected from escaped or repatriated British prisoners and then collated by the Prisoner of War Department at the Foreign Office. The study reflects the areas of dissatisfaction that became evident in the government treatment of prisoners of war and their families during the Second World War. Three main factors affected the length of time taken for official notification that a man had become prisoner: the number of prisoners captured at any one time, the medical condition of the man himself at time of capture and the locality of the actual capture. Finally, the chapter draws comparison between the government attitude towards developing a coherent policy for the administration of service allowances and towards administering the dissemination of information.Less
This chapter discusses the issue of the provision of information, news and support to the families of prisoners of war. The information about prisoners was largely collected from escaped or repatriated British prisoners and then collated by the Prisoner of War Department at the Foreign Office. The study reflects the areas of dissatisfaction that became evident in the government treatment of prisoners of war and their families during the Second World War. Three main factors affected the length of time taken for official notification that a man had become prisoner: the number of prisoners captured at any one time, the medical condition of the man himself at time of capture and the locality of the actual capture. Finally, the chapter draws comparison between the government attitude towards developing a coherent policy for the administration of service allowances and towards administering the dissemination of information.
Neville Wylie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547593
- eISBN:
- 9780191720581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547593.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The concluding chapter begins by questioning the validity of the explanations commonly put forward for the comparatively high survival rates of British POWs in German hands during the Second World ...
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The concluding chapter begins by questioning the validity of the explanations commonly put forward for the comparatively high survival rates of British POWs in German hands during the Second World War, notably the absence of any ideological or racial antipathy towards British POWs, and the influence of reciprocity in German thinking. It suggests, by contrast, that British POWs directly benefited from the support of their government, and the existence of a well‐informed and active next‐of‐kin lobby at home. Working through neutral intermediaries, London ultimately exercised considerable leverage over its adversary. More importantly, though, it suggests that Britain's success rested on the basic symmetry of values existing between the two sides. For all their differences, the two governments were familiar foes. Hitler and his generals were constrained in their treatment of British POWs by a set of traditional beliefs and assumptions that proved remarkably resilient to change, and encouraged German compliance with customary western European norms over imprisonment and captivity.Less
The concluding chapter begins by questioning the validity of the explanations commonly put forward for the comparatively high survival rates of British POWs in German hands during the Second World War, notably the absence of any ideological or racial antipathy towards British POWs, and the influence of reciprocity in German thinking. It suggests, by contrast, that British POWs directly benefited from the support of their government, and the existence of a well‐informed and active next‐of‐kin lobby at home. Working through neutral intermediaries, London ultimately exercised considerable leverage over its adversary. More importantly, though, it suggests that Britain's success rested on the basic symmetry of values existing between the two sides. For all their differences, the two governments were familiar foes. Hitler and his generals were constrained in their treatment of British POWs by a set of traditional beliefs and assumptions that proved remarkably resilient to change, and encouraged German compliance with customary western European norms over imprisonment and captivity.
Matthews James
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199655748
- eISBN:
- 9780199949953
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199655748.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter examines serious breaches of discipline in both Nationalist and Republican armies. These threatened their systems of recruitment and their capacity to retain conscripted men within the ...
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This chapter examines serious breaches of discipline in both Nationalist and Republican armies. These threatened their systems of recruitment and their capacity to retain conscripted men within the armed forces. It examines the motivation behind decisions to defect and desert, and also looks at the opportunities outwardly to conform to mobilization, while simultaneously procuring the safest possible posting within both armies. The chapter also focuses on both sides’ attempts to limit the number of men avoiding military service, including via self-mutilation, and examines the measures for ‘recycling’ deserters and prisoners of war. These men were monitored and, if their conduct and background checks allowed it, they were enlisted to fight in their captors’ army. While this was practiced by both sides, it was particularly important for the Nationalists because they captured more enemy soldiers than the Republic.Less
This chapter examines serious breaches of discipline in both Nationalist and Republican armies. These threatened their systems of recruitment and their capacity to retain conscripted men within the armed forces. It examines the motivation behind decisions to defect and desert, and also looks at the opportunities outwardly to conform to mobilization, while simultaneously procuring the safest possible posting within both armies. The chapter also focuses on both sides’ attempts to limit the number of men avoiding military service, including via self-mutilation, and examines the measures for ‘recycling’ deserters and prisoners of war. These men were monitored and, if their conduct and background checks allowed it, they were enlisted to fight in their captors’ army. While this was practiced by both sides, it was particularly important for the Nationalists because they captured more enemy soldiers than the Republic.
S. P. Mackenzie
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199203079
- eISBN:
- 9780191695469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203079.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, Military History
Though the layout of particular prison camps and the behaviour of individual German and British leaders could generate real differences in life behind the wire, the more immediate problem for the ...
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Though the layout of particular prison camps and the behaviour of individual German and British leaders could generate real differences in life behind the wire, the more immediate problem for the ordinary Kriegie was simply to keep body and soul together. Certain periods were worse than others, but throughout the war prisoners had to cope with the reality of near-constant deprivation. The shortage or complete absence of what had previously been taken for granted-everything from food to privacy-was something with which every prisoner had to come to terms, both physically and mentally. Those who went to Colditz were no exception. In the case of Nazi Germany, the requisite articles were more honoured in the breach than in the observance. The rations, clothing, footwear, and everything else given to prisoners of war were inadequate both in quantity and in quality. This chapter discusses the most significant factors impinging on both bodily and mental health and well-being inside prison camps in Nazi Germany, including food, clothing, religion, and politics.Less
Though the layout of particular prison camps and the behaviour of individual German and British leaders could generate real differences in life behind the wire, the more immediate problem for the ordinary Kriegie was simply to keep body and soul together. Certain periods were worse than others, but throughout the war prisoners had to cope with the reality of near-constant deprivation. The shortage or complete absence of what had previously been taken for granted-everything from food to privacy-was something with which every prisoner had to come to terms, both physically and mentally. Those who went to Colditz were no exception. In the case of Nazi Germany, the requisite articles were more honoured in the breach than in the observance. The rations, clothing, footwear, and everything else given to prisoners of war were inadequate both in quantity and in quality. This chapter discusses the most significant factors impinging on both bodily and mental health and well-being inside prison camps in Nazi Germany, including food, clothing, religion, and politics.
S. P. Mackenzie
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199203079
- eISBN:
- 9780191695469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203079.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, Military History
The single most significant difference in the prisoner-of-war experience of other ranks, as against that of officers, related to employment. Jobs could be immensely tedious and fatiguing, a world ...
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The single most significant difference in the prisoner-of-war experience of other ranks, as against that of officers, related to employment. Jobs could be immensely tedious and fatiguing, a world away from the concerts, games, and other forms of recreation working men imagined were available to ‘Stalag Wallahs’ and those confined in oflags. Many officers at Colditz took goon baiting to a level of rambunctiousness bordering on sometimes outright violence that was rare in most prison camps. The prisoners of war at Oflag IVC worked hard at playing, and for some of their transgressions against enemy authority would pay the penalty in the form of German retaliatory actions. Yet relations never deteriorated to the extent feared by some, and Colditz in fact turned out to be the very opposite of a Straflager, insofar as most of its inhabitants avoided the mass reprisals imposed on the men of other oflags or stalags. In a paradoxical way, being a prisoner at Colditz turned out to have its rewards.Less
The single most significant difference in the prisoner-of-war experience of other ranks, as against that of officers, related to employment. Jobs could be immensely tedious and fatiguing, a world away from the concerts, games, and other forms of recreation working men imagined were available to ‘Stalag Wallahs’ and those confined in oflags. Many officers at Colditz took goon baiting to a level of rambunctiousness bordering on sometimes outright violence that was rare in most prison camps. The prisoners of war at Oflag IVC worked hard at playing, and for some of their transgressions against enemy authority would pay the penalty in the form of German retaliatory actions. Yet relations never deteriorated to the extent feared by some, and Colditz in fact turned out to be the very opposite of a Straflager, insofar as most of its inhabitants avoided the mass reprisals imposed on the men of other oflags or stalags. In a paradoxical way, being a prisoner at Colditz turned out to have its rewards.
S. P. Mackenzie
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199203079
- eISBN:
- 9780191695469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203079.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, Military History
Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, individuals in enemy hands were subject to well-defined penalties for acts of misconduct that mirrored those in place within the captor's armed forces. At ...
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Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, individuals in enemy hands were subject to well-defined penalties for acts of misconduct that mirrored those in place within the captor's armed forces. At the same time certain categories of prisoner – chiefly medical personnel and the severely injured – were supposed to be repatriated to their home country as quickly as practicable after capture. For British POWs in Nazi Germany, however, the process of apportioning reprisals and rewards would be mostly rather more complex and often fraught with peril than was allowed for under the provisions of an international agreement concluded in time of peace by a defunct regime. The inhabitants of Colditz were often better off, but also sometimes worse off, than their contemporaries incarcerated elsewhere in the Third Reich. Apparent or real insubordination was what got most individual Kriegies into trouble. On working parties and in main prison camps, the more brutish non-commissioned officers and guards could resort to violence if other-rank prisoners appeared unwilling or slow to carry out orders.Less
Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, individuals in enemy hands were subject to well-defined penalties for acts of misconduct that mirrored those in place within the captor's armed forces. At the same time certain categories of prisoner – chiefly medical personnel and the severely injured – were supposed to be repatriated to their home country as quickly as practicable after capture. For British POWs in Nazi Germany, however, the process of apportioning reprisals and rewards would be mostly rather more complex and often fraught with peril than was allowed for under the provisions of an international agreement concluded in time of peace by a defunct regime. The inhabitants of Colditz were often better off, but also sometimes worse off, than their contemporaries incarcerated elsewhere in the Third Reich. Apparent or real insubordination was what got most individual Kriegies into trouble. On working parties and in main prison camps, the more brutish non-commissioned officers and guards could resort to violence if other-rank prisoners appeared unwilling or slow to carry out orders.
Geoffrey P. R. Wallace
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801453434
- eISBN:
- 9780801455742
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801453434.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
The statistical analysis presented in Chapter 3 demonstrated the overall tendency for democracies to be less willing to resort to extreme abuses against prisoners falling into their hands. Far less ...
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The statistical analysis presented in Chapter 3 demonstrated the overall tendency for democracies to be less willing to resort to extreme abuses against prisoners falling into their hands. Far less clear are the precise reasons guiding the general restraints exhibited by democracies in their conduct. This chapter examines relationship between democracy and the treatment of captives by focusing on what is often considered the prototypical example of proper prisoner care: the treatment of captured Axis combatants by the United States and Great Britain during the Second World War. Evidence shows that the benevolent conduct on the part of the Western democracies toward their captives largely stemmed from the two key domestic institutional incentives: fears of retaliation from engaging in abuse, and the strategic advantages of good conduct. However, when institutional incentives waned or were absent, democratic captors' behavior correspondingly worsened. In these hardened circumstances, normative appeals to democratic political culture offered few protections behind which increasingly vulnerable prisoner populations could hide.Less
The statistical analysis presented in Chapter 3 demonstrated the overall tendency for democracies to be less willing to resort to extreme abuses against prisoners falling into their hands. Far less clear are the precise reasons guiding the general restraints exhibited by democracies in their conduct. This chapter examines relationship between democracy and the treatment of captives by focusing on what is often considered the prototypical example of proper prisoner care: the treatment of captured Axis combatants by the United States and Great Britain during the Second World War. Evidence shows that the benevolent conduct on the part of the Western democracies toward their captives largely stemmed from the two key domestic institutional incentives: fears of retaliation from engaging in abuse, and the strategic advantages of good conduct. However, when institutional incentives waned or were absent, democratic captors' behavior correspondingly worsened. In these hardened circumstances, normative appeals to democratic political culture offered few protections behind which increasingly vulnerable prisoner populations could hide.
