The Law of War and the Treatment of Prisoners of War during the World Wars
Loading...
Date
2017-03-24
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Mershon Center for International Security Studies
Abstract
International humanitarian law on prisoners of war and other issues has grown extensively over the last century and a half. I lay out a general argument about how the law can aid warring parties in limiting violence during wartime. The patterns of compliance and violations during the World Wars illustrate both the strengths and limitations of law to protect prisoners. During the First World War, all parties wanted to follow the war but disagreed about what it required. As a result, conduct deteriorated during the war. In the Second World War, some parties wanted to follow the law while others rejected it, resulting in great differences in conduct across theaters. Practical issues also limited the ability of the parties to control abuses of prisoners of war.
Description
The media can be accessed here: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/Mershon17/JamesMorrowcompleted.mp4
Keywords
laws of war, humanitarian, world war, prisoners of war