II.

History

In ancient times prisoners of war were usually treated without mercy. Among the Greeks, for example, it was common practice to put to death the whole adult male population of a conquered state. The ancient Britons also killed their prisoners in a barbarous fashion. The Muslim Ottomans executed 30,000 Christian prisoners during the War of Candia (1667-1668). In Western Europe, however, as chivalry spread in late medieval times, generosity to a fallen foe asserted itself, and the practice of sparing and ransoming prisoners was introduced.

In modern times, the Hague Conferences, the Geneva Convention in 1906, and the more detailed convention of 1929 provided international rules for the humane treatment of prisoners. A prisoner of war may not be treated as a criminal but may be employed in nonmilitary paid work. The prisoner has a right to adequate food, clothing, and quarters and to the transmission of letters and parcels. A member of the armed forces is bound to supply name, rank, and serial number but cannot legally be compelled to give further information to the enemy. The provisions of the Geneva Convention of 1906 and 1929 were largely disregarded by totalitarian regimes, particularly those of Germany and Japan during World War II (1939-1945).

After the experiences of World War II, another Geneva Convention was convened in August 1949 to deal with the treatment of prisoners of war. The rules that were put forth there are binding on most of the countries of the world, but these rules have not always been strictly observed.