This chapter discusses the efforts of the Red Cross in sending packages to prisoners of war during World War II, creating a peculiar dynamic between the prisoners and guards. It explores the treatment differences between officers and ordinary soldiers, as well as extraordinary escape attempts and unexpected acts of civility.
Join us for adventure with Ben Macintyre, author of Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis' Fortress Prison!
What We Discuss with Ben Macintyre:
- How Germany's Colditz Castle — around in some form or another since 1046 — came to serve as a Nazi POW camp for high-ranking officers of the Western Allies during World War II.
- How concentrating Allied officers who had previously escaped from other camps — or were deemed to be a high-security risk — into one place turned Colditz into a highly competitive "escape university."
- Why the hodgepodge layout of Colditz (known as Oflag IV-C during the war) made it a terribly inefficient prison — from which more than 30 successful escape attempts were made between 1939 and 1945.
- Plans for more than 300 escape attempts made over the years involved everything from clever disguises to hand-dug tunnels to a glider made from bedsteads, floorboards, cotton sheets, and porridge.
- What happened to Colditz and its prisoners after the war?
- And much more...
Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/935
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