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The Germans were the first country to acquire large numbers of Kriegsgefangenen (POWs). German policy varied as to the nationality of the POWs. Here a primary factor in the German mind was race. The Wehrmacht treated French, British, and later American POWs relatively correctly. The greatest numbr of Western POWs were the French. Large numbers of French soldiers were taken prisoner during the German western offensive and the resulting fall of France (May-June 1940). The Germans after the French surrender (June 1940), interned the French Army in POW camps in the Reich. Vichy hoped that the Germans would release them, but the never did. The SS was a different matter. The internment of the French and some British POWs was for almost the entire war as they took large numbers of POWs in 1940. The German treatment of Polish and Soviet POWs, however, was barbaric and many died from starvation, exposure, and mistreatment. Few of the Polish POWs taken in 1939 survived the War. The German policy was in part a planned method of elimination and in part their inablity to deal with the massive numbers involved. German treatment improved somewhat as they began to take fewer POWs and began to use the Soviet POWs for forced labor, but it was still brutal.
Small numbers of Americans were taken prisoner during the fighting in North Africa. Most American POWs were aviators shot down during the strategic bombing campaign. The American 8th Air Force joined the British in this campaign beginning in 1943. Losses in the air war were substantial, especially until 1944 when lng-range ecorts became available. Small numbers of American POWs were taken in Italy and Normandy. This only changed in December 1944 when the Germans took substantial numbers of prisoners in the Battle Buldge. There were both Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe POW camps. The Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe tended to treat American POWs correctly, although conditions deteriorated in the cmps in the last few months of the Wr. SS units were responsible for masacres of POWs. The best known one occurred at Malmedy during the Battle of the Buldge. The Germans did their best to identify Jewish GI who were then sent to concentration camps rather than POW camps. The U.S. Army was very concerned about German treatment of POWs. As a result, they were very careful with German POWs. Camps were set up in severl locations in the United States where the Germans sat out the war in relative luxury.
King Leopold surrendered the Belgiam Army to the Germans (May 1940).
British soldiers were taken prisoner during the German Western offensive (May-June, 1940). Othes were taken in North Africa after the Germans arrived (1941-42). Aviators were shot down in the strategic bombing campaignwhich Britain initiated in 1940. Other prisoners were taken when the offensive aimed at seizing the Rhine Rover bridges at Arnem failed (1944).
The Germans took Canadian prisoners in the Dieppe raid (1942). SS units shot some Canadian prisoners after Normandy.
The Danish Army did not resist the German invasion (April 1940) and the small Danish Army was not interened.
Large numbers of French soldiers were taken prisoner during the German western offensive and the resulting fall of France (May-June 1940). The Germans after the French surrender (June 1940), interned the French Army in POW camps in the Reich. Conditions at German POW camps varied widely. Conditions for Poles and Soviet POWs were death camps and survival rates were very low. Conditions for the Western Allies were very different. Conditions were spartan, but survivable. The French were the largest group of POWs and from the Western Allies and confined the longest period. The Germans kept the French POWs throughout the entire War, despite entrties from Vichy authorities to repatriate them. I'm not sure why the Germans did this. Perhaps it gave them leverage with Vichy. Perhaps they were seen as a valuable source of labor. A najor factot was probably that POWs would have been a likely group to have helped organize the Resistance which by 1943 was beginning to become increasingly troublesome to the Germans. The French POWs were kept in camps in both Germany and Austria. A French reader tells us about a visit from the Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois in 1943. Another reader writes, "It is actually amazing that this French boys choir was allowed to sing for French forced-laborers and POWs
during the War. I remember pictures in the Dutch newspapers during the German occupation of the French actors and entertainers Maurice Chevallier and Danielle Darrieux, performing in such German camps. One can call it collaboration, but there had to be some sort of collaboration, also from the part of the NAZIi authorities, to make these events possible. I believe the Germans still saw this sort of propaganda of value even when people all over Europe had come detest them. As for the French, the prisoners enjoyed it tremendously. I still see the pictur of the POW, who tried to kiss a laughing Maurice Chevallier. It was a snapshot I never forget." [Stueck] Many French POWs were given seasonal jobs with farm work outside the camps. One Austrian girl remembers two French POWs that worked on her family farm in the Tyrol during Summer 1942. She was 8-years old and lived in the city, but her uncle still worked the farm. She became friendly with the French soldiers. She recalls that one was a priest and the other was younger and had red hair. In the evening she and her cousins woulsd sit with the French POWs and have fun learning each other's language. After the harvest, the girl and her mther returned home and the French were returned to a POW camp. After school one day she saw German shoulders marching POWs down the street. Then she noticed one of the POWs was the red-haired Frenchman. He saw her and cried out, "Isabella, Isabella." One of the guards then beat his viciously with the butt of his rifle. The little girl was horrified and screamed. She ran home sobbing and told her mother and was surprised when her mother wanted to know if anyone saw her and knew who she was. It wasn't until after the war that she understood her mother's reaction. [McCracken]
Italy was an Axis country, Germany's principal European ally. Mussolini joined the War when it was clear that the Germans had defeated the French (June 1940). The Italians fought as a German ally until 1943 when the Italian Government signed an armistace with the Allies. The Germans moved into Italy in force. Italians were given the choice of fighting with Germany or internment. Most chose internment. There were some masacres of Italian soldiers. Most were shipped back to the Reich as POWs. I am not sure what conditions were like for the Italians in the German POW camps.
After the capitulation on May 15 1945, all Dutch military were sent home, with the exception of the Generals Winkelman and Van Voorst, who were taken to Germany as POWs.
Career soldiers had to sign some sort of a word of honor declaration that they would not take up arms again against the German forces. I'm not sure why the Germans treated the Dutch POWs differently from the French POWs. Perhaps because of racial affinities. Also the Dutch had been neutral in World War I and tried to remain neutral in World War II until the Germans invaded. They also at first tried to behave "correctly" and promissed to respect Dutch institutions and traditions. The German occupation authorities in 1943 required all 300.000 formerly drafted military personnel to register. Most of them ignored the order and many went underground. The Grrmans sent 11.000 Dutch men to Stammlagers (Stalags) in Germany and had to work in the German war industry.
The Poles were the first country to resist the Germans. The German treatment of Polish and Soviet POWs, however, was barbaric and many died from starvation, exposure, and mistreatment. AS the Polish POWs were taken in 1939 and given the barabarous conditions they experienced, few survived the War.
The German treatment of Polish and Soviet POWs was barbaric and esential genocidal. Many died from starvation, exposure, and mistreatment. The German policy was in part a planned method of elimination and in part their inablity to deal with the massive numbers surrendering. German plans for the Occupied East were a genocide targetting the Slavs. Thus when it looked liked the Soviet Union would be qyuickly knocked out of the War, there was no real desire o the part of the Germans toprovide for the vast numbers of POWs. German tretment improved somewhat as they began to use Soviet POWs for forced labor, but it was still unimagineitevly brutal. At some camps the Soviet POWs were not even provided barracks and other structures and were exposed to the elements even during the winter. While in terms of fatalities, the worst time for POWs was in 1941 when the German took huge numbers of POWs. The Germans recruited some anti-Soviet POWs to form anti-Soviet Russian units. The Germans never, however, fully trusted these units and did not fully equip them. The Soviet POWs liberated by the Red Army were treated abonamally. Many were transported to the Gulag. Stalin's attitude was that they should have never surrendered.
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