Into to the War Zone

POWs of WWII
By: Andrea A. and Chris N.
Our Connections
Why did we choose this topic?
We both have had a love one
served in WWII.

We are both war brats.

We both were interested in the
topic of POWs in WWII and
wanted to learn more about it.


(everystockphoto)
WWII in a Nutshell
September 1939 Germany invaded Poland
Britain and France responded
In 1941, after Pearl Harbor, The US joined the Britain and France
Two powers were formed
Allies and Axis powers
Over 60 million died
Total military death: 22-25 million, including 5 million POW deaths in captivity
Background on POW
Who are POW?
POW refers to those who have
been captured and imprisoned
by the enemy during war time.
Soldiers
Airmen
Sailors
and Civilians

At the end of WWII, there where
hundreds and thousands of POWs
in containment across the board.
In countries like:
Eastern Europe
Far East
Asia
And North Africa
Admission Process
Transit Camps:
These camps served to process details of, and interrogate prisoners
Germans would take POWs to transit camps called Dulag
Prisoners only gave out name, rank, and serial numbers
Interrogating officers would often try to get more information out of
soldiers by fooling them with confusing questions

Overall Life in
Camps
Conditions varied from country to
country.
In some places, solders of enemy
forces were treated more severely
than others, because of their
affiliation.
Like how British POWs lived in
hellish conditions under German
authority

The rules stated by Geneva Code
of 1949, aimed to ensure that POW
we treated fairly as oppose to harsh
and violent treatments. The
Development of the Red Cross came
about around this time.





Poster Adverting Geneva Convention
(Loc)
Geneva Convention Provides
Covenant
Ideally:
4. Captured combatants and civilians under
the authority of an adverse party are entitled
to respect for their lives, dignity, personal
rights and convictions. They shall be
protected against all acts of violence and
reprisals. They shall have the right to
correspond with their families and to receive
relief.
Red Cross: Had access to POW
camps to ensure they where up
to code.

The Reality:
On the Eastern of Europe, the
Geneva could was disregarded.
This practice was seen mostly in:

Japanese Camps

Russian Camps




Japanese POW Camps
The ideology of the Japanese's
forces viewed the act as
surrendering as disgraceful.
Which prompted them to:
Brutally beat POW
Force upon them harsh laborer
And starve their captives

Much of the brutality of this
ideology can be seen in historical
events such as:
Changi Camp

Burma-Thailand Railway

Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March Photo
(AWM)
Burma-Thailand Railway
(WFU)
Map of Burma-
Thailand Railway
(VietnamSwan)
(AWM)
What was The Bataan Death March?
Video Link Provided:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPlfhVEw-7U

Eastern Front: Russian Camps and
Treatment of German POWs
Russia failed to comply with the
rules set by the Geneva Code.
Regularly they would:
Not allow or limit what the Red
Cross was allowed to see
Did not provide a list of the
names of enemy POWs
Lied about the number of POWs
they had in containment
Germans were viewed as scum
and was believed that it was duty
to rebuild mush of Russias ruined
cities.
Stalingrad
91,000 German men where
capture and put the work

Restoration of Vilikye
How Monopoly Saved Lives
British Government

John Waddington was the licensed manufacture of the board game

Used the game to help transport supplies to use for escape

35,000 Allied POWs had escaped from German prison camps, while
a few of those escapees owe their lives to the boardgame
Post WWII:
Liberation of POW
Camps
Some liberated POW camps
were liberated with ease,
while others faced grim fates.

Many were forced in ward
where thousands died of
illness and malnutrition.
Many were executed and
kilted to keep from being
freed.
Liberation of Aomori prison camp, near Yokohama,
Japan, on 29 August 1945.(commandpost)
Life After
Liberation: Axis
POW
Many Axis POWs and Pre-War
Civilians stayed in the US after
WWII- totaling about 425,000
Axis immigrants.

A higher percentage of
Italian POWs worked their
way into American
citizenship

Many of those immigrants
opened up shops and
underwent new identities.
Conclusion
All in all, we learned a lot about the POWs and their stories. This was
also away for us to view a critical event in history that often went over
looked. We learned a lot a new things, while also refreshing old topics.
It was a blast discovering new information, conspiracies, and unknown
history.
References to Related Topic
Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor
Bridge on the River Kwai directed by David Lean
Pure History Specials: Prisoners of War Betrayed
Website Link: http://www.merkki.com/stories.htm

Citations
Heussner, M. Ki.Get Out of Jail: Monopolys Hidden Maps.ABCNews.go.com.18 Sept
2009.Web. 23 July 2014
August 1945: Liberation of POWs In Images.Commandpost.com.n.d.Web. 24 July 2014
Australian and Dutch POWs from the Thai Burma Railway.VietnamSwan.com.8 May
2009.Web. 22 July 2014
Bataan Death March.History.com.History.n.d.Web. 23 July 2014
Baisc Rules of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.International
Committee of the Red Cross.0365 (1988): 1-4.Web. 23 July 2014
British POWs in Germany.HistoryLearningSite.co.uk.n.p.n.d.Web. 22 July 2014
The Burma-Thailand Railway.AWM.gov.au.n.d.Web.24 July 2014
Camp Clinton: German Prisoner of War Camp, Clifton, MS.Kilroywashere.org.n.d.Web.25
July 2014
Changi.HistoryLearningSite.co.uk.n.p.n.d.Web. 22 July 2014
Cook, Jacqueline.The Real Great Escape: The Story of the First World Wars Most Daring
Mass Breakout.Random House Australia, 2013.Print
CrashCourse.World War II: Crash Course World History #38.Youtube.com.Youtube.11 Oct
2012.Web.22 July 2014

Citations Contd.
Defense Prisoner of War: Missing Personnel Office.Dtic.mil.14 July 2014.Web.25
July 2014
Uncle Sam: I Want You.EveryStockPhoto.com.n.d.Web. 22 July 2014
Geneva Conventions: In occupied territory, civilians not taking part in hostilities
must be spared and protected.Loc.gov.n.d.Library of Congress.Web. 22 July 2014
German Prisoners of War.HistoryLearningSite.co.uk.n.p.n.d.Web. 22 July 2014
MilitaryVideoCom.POW Liberation WWII European
Theater.Youtube.com.Youtube. 3 May 2007.Web. 24 July 2014
Prelude to Attack.WFU.edu.n.d.Web. 24 July 2014
Prisoners of War.HistoryLearningSite.co.uk.n.p.n.d.Web. 22 July 2014
Transit Camps.TheHolocaustExplained.org.n.d.Web.23 July 2014
XiveTV.Pure History Specials- Prisoners of War Betrayed.Youtube.Youtube.13 Oct
2011.Web.23 July 2014