Strategic Value of Humane Treatment

Nick concludes that generous POW treatment showcased democratic values versus totalitarian cruelty, influencing Cold War narratives.

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Prisoners of war or POWs during the 20th century were a part of war.

Beligerant nations had to develop systems to guard, house, and feed their prisoners, and before the war, in 1929, most countries had agreed on how prisoners would be treated in captivity.

In reality, conditions for POWs differed dramatically, particularly for captured German soldiers. Those captured by the Soviets faced a far different fate than those captured by the Americans or British.

Learn more about German POWs who were held in the United States, what they experienced, and how it shaped the post-war world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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