Treatment of German POWs in Prison Camps after WW2 chronology: The shocking death rate of German POWs in Detention Camps after WW2 is said by some students of WW2 to be one of the darkest events of the War. My question here is; 'After looking at the description of the Camps on Web Sites, do you feel the Allies were 'vindictive' in their treatment of German POWs? or do you think it was a case of 'overlooking' the crisis in the Camps by Allied Officials? Note; the majority of German POW deaths were in 'Western' Camps, not Russian Camps. Also statistics are difficult to judge due to POWs being reclassified as 'DEF's from POWs. Also, American Camps kept no record of German deaths in Camps. People who defend General Eisenhower's reputation insist the General was overwhelmed by unexpected numbers of Prisoners, critics of the General say there was no real effort made to detain German Prisoners humanly.  davidk14: . SInce you continue to be a Nazi sympathizer, a holocaust denier, blaming America with pure  , I must make a factual statement which counters your continued racist rantings...Although they expected to go home immediately after the end of the war in 1945, the majority of German prisoners continued working in the United States until 1946—arguably violating the Geneva Convention's requirement of rapid repatriation—then spent up to three more years as laborers in France and the United Kingdom. Most Germans nonetheless left the United States with positive feelings about the country that imprisoned them, and often with several hundred dollars in earnings, which benefited the postwar German economy. They had benefited from being held by a nation that largely did not hate German soldiers; a November 1943 poll found that 74% of Americans solely blamed the German government, not Germans, for the war. After repatriation about 5,000 Germans immigrated to the United States, and thousands of others returned to visit their captor country. Funke reported that the visitors did so "as convinced democrats" due to their treatment. Sources: Rabin, Ron (1995). The Barbed-Wire College: Reeducating German POWs in the United States during World War II. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-03700-0. Carlson, Lewis H. (1997). We Were Each Other's Prisoners: An Oral History of World War II American and German Prisoners of War. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-09120-2. "Day of mourning will honor German POWs held in U.S.", msnbc.msn.com, November 15, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2011. "Enemies and Friends: POWs in the Tar Heel State", Tar Heel Junior Historian 47:2 (Spring 2008). Published by North Carolina Museum of History. Retrieved March 28, 2011. Garcia, Malcolm J.,"German POWs on the American Homefront", Smithsonian.com, September 16, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2011. Camp Algona POW Museum: Questions and Answers of Alex Funke, accessed April 2, 2011 .  chronology: As usual David simply throws insults around, he serves up 'Fast Food' Forum servings of his version 'history'. First, I am not a 'Racist', I respect people of all races. David is either as myopic as his many critics here on Wire says he is, or is deliberately misdirecting the discussion. 'Comrade', the sources for the appalling losses of German detainees who were held in Allied Camps are difficult to verify as American Camps did not keep records of deaths or even who was held there. If you want to verify the number of German deaths you cannot, despite what some critics of Gen Eisenhower insist are 'accurate' figures. If you research eye witness accounts posted on various web sites you will find accounts of truck loads of dead German Detainees being taken away daily. Ref what David says about the treatment of German POWs held before 1945, these facts are entirely correct, U.S. Military and Political Authorities treated German Prisoners with every regard for the Geneva Convention, and many German ex Prisoners remember their American years of captivity with fond memories. But there are persistent and continuous claims that German Prisoners detained after 1945 in Allied (Western) detention Camps were treated with extreme callousness, callousness which some claim to be 'War Crimes'. And before David begins to accuse me of forgetting the victimisation and harsh treatment of Jewish people, I do not forget that, and I respect the suffering of Jewish people, little Anne Frank would never had died at Belsen had she not been Jewish, she died as a result of racial profiling aimed at Jewish people. dave3974: it is documented that the allies shot surrendering germans out of hand in europe , especially after d day and prisiners were badly treated and starved in the allies camps; so yes war crimes were committed and covered up . Outbackjack: Generally the Japanese prisoners were treated well in Australia though I genuinely find it hard to believe that more prisoners died in Western prison camps as opposed to Stalins freezing Siberian gulags where a lot of them were imprisoned for up to 10 years or more.Sure war crimes occurred on all sides but Stalin was brutal. Comrade_: True, more died with Stalin than under the other Allies. In the end I think it was the human side coming out. On that level, reading on what the Nazis did to their enemies just seem to generate hate. Seem soldiers vented their frustration too. I don't think that it might be right to come and judge (though accountability is important and attack on the 'enemy's civilian' isn't justifiable). The ones who saw their country slaughtered and women & children mistreated. It was one of those really dark times in history. At least on the European side. dave3974: never forget that the winners usualy write the history ; also the actions of the american in subsequent conflicts like korea and vietnam have been weel outside of the geneva convention on many occassions Bumpa: I find it laughable that Davidk accuses Chronology of being anti American and racist. I always thought Chrono was a Republican apologist for American atrocities. Just how far right wing are you David? davidk14: . A very wise man once said, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Chrono is an admitted Holocaust denier. Anything he says should be discounted. You Bumpa, should do your homework. Regarding 'beliefs', I have always admitted that I am a conservative just right of center. If you have any questions to ask me regarding my beliefs, feel free to ask anytime. . . chronology: dave3974 hit the nail on the head when Posted; 'the winners get to write the history'. And the winners were ....... Russia, France, Britain, America, Canada, Australia, and etc etc. Is it any wonder truth stood no chance of a fair hearing. @ Jack and Comrade. I always thought German Prisoners suffered more under the Soviets than the Americans, but if you do some research the Americans were, (or are disputed to have been) far worse than the Soviets. It all comes down to Gen Eisenhower. Mr Eisenhower is a true American Hero to most Americans, but he is detested by Right Wingers and Nationalists around the world who insists he is the biggest War Criminal of WW2. As I Posted above, the U.S. destroyed all their records of the German prison Camps, so we can never say for sure how many tragic German Prisoners died; 'tens of thousands'? 'Hundreds of thousands'? We will never know. But the Right Wing and Nationalist folks have made up their minds, Gen Eisenhower is a monster they claim. Bumpa: When nationalist fervour is whipped up during wartime peoples emotions sometimes take over and mistreatment of POWs can easily occur. In general frontline troops are not used to guard camps and very second rate personnel are used. There are many well documented cases of massacres of prisoners on both sides in WW2, including one which occurred just along the road from my home when 50 or 60 Japanese POWs were shot for rioting. About the only country these massacres were kept quiet is the former Yugoslavia where German backed Croatian troops executed over 2 million Serbs in death camps similar to Auschwitz. davidk14: . Chrono is full of crap...once again. My father was a US Army Medical Officer at a POW camp in Texas in WW2. The German soldiers and officers were treated according to the Geneva convention. Most wanted to stay after the war was over. Chrono has no idea what TF he is talking about. . chronology: Bumpa. I think this Thread has got lost somewhere. The suggestion made by some people is that German Prisoners were housed in inhuman conditions run by the U.S. in the years after the war. No one is saying, (to my knowledge) that German Prisoners were 'massacred'. If you search engine 'Eisenhower's Death Camps' you will find many references to these allegations. davidk14, I think the plain meaning of words is lost on you, no where have I said German Prisoners were mistreated inside the U.S. you are wrong about what am full of as well; it is steak pie, avocado, blended salad, tomato chased down by blended fruit juice. So that is it then then davidk14; 'My father was a U.S. Medical Officer at a POW camp in Texas', end of discussion, we must all now bow to your insider knowledge and supreme insight into the history of the experiences of German Prisoners from Siberia to California, (and Texas). The discussion is over, the matter settled, end of story, 'that's it Jack', subject closed, because; 'My father was a U.S. Medical Officer at a POW camp in Texas'. A man David may be forgiven anything but being tedious, you are unforgiven. davidk14: . Do you or anyone for that matter reading this, has ever known anyone, have talked with in depth anyone who was held in a detention camp, worked in a detention camp in the US during or after WW2 who had first hand knowledge? A witness? Anyone? Thought not. Chrono does not even the holocaust happened where 6 million Jews and millions of others were murdered. He is what is called....a Holocaust Denier. To believe anything that this person states regarding this time in history during the 1930's and 1940's should not be taken serious. To deny the Holocaust is to deny fact and reality. . chronology: Davidk14. I say again, and it looks like I am going to have to say this over and over and over again to you; I AM REFERING TO CAMPS IN GERMANY AFTER THE WAR. NOT THE U.S. Do a search and look for 'Eisenhower's Death Camps'. Your question about; 'have you ever known any German POWs who were in those camps' is as absurd as saying; 'did you ever meet Neil Armstrong personally? or Buzz Aldrin? or Michael Collins? blaaaargh didn't think so, how do you know they went to the Moon?. davidk14: The basis for your 'conspiracy theory' is absurd. The 'conspiracy' that Eisenhower was responsible for 'death camps' that never happened are absurd. You crap is as crazy as Lori's Reptillian After the publication of Bacque's book, 'Other Losses' where you might have gotten your crap. a panel of eight historians gathered for a symposium at the University of New Orleans from December 7–8, 1990 to review Bacque's work. The introduction to a book later published containing each panelists' papers noted that Bacque is a Canadian novelist with no previous historical research or writing experience. The introduction concludes that "Other Losses is seriously — nay, spectacularly — flawed in its most fundamental aspects.". The historians conclude that, among its many problems, Other Losses: 1) misuses documents 2) misreads documents 3) ignores contrary evidence 4) employs a statistical methodology that is hopelessly compromised 5) made no attempt to see the evidence he has gathered in relation to the broader situation 6) made no attempt to perform any comparative context 7) puts words into the mouths of the subjects of his oral history 8) ignores a readily available and absolutely critical source that decisively dealt with his central accusation You have not changed Chrono. Your still stinks.. chronology: Davidk14, first, well done for checking the facts under discussion, at least you made the effort. I agree with you entirely that most of the people who accuse Gen Eisenhower of war crimes are from the Nationalist community, and they do approach the subject having already made up their minds as to Gen Eisenhower's guilt, and they are as likely to take 'historical license' as other people looking at WW2. However I never used that Guys Book as a reference. My own study of the circumstances of Post War Germany is that the German people and their Servicemen suffered unnecessarily, how much was malice, how much was undeserved outrage others can decide.  lori100: david14......the Reptiles are real.....remember Rumsfield never denied his lizard identity...... chronology: Lori100 check out Jessie Ventura's show on Reptilians, he found the idea the most ridiculous he had ever heard. Jessie lost the support of many in the conspiracy movement with his interview with David Icke. This does seem odd as David is well used to being spoken to in that way, and why David lost his temper and stormed out calling Jessie a 'b+stard' I have no idea. lori100: It is hard to believe in the reptiles.......many encounters with the reptiles have been reported , evidence will be available one day probably.....  Ms_Mafdet_The Great: davidk14: . 'Do you or anyone for that matter reading this, has ever known anyone, have talked with in depth anyone who was held in a detention camp, worked in a detention camp in the US during or after WW2 who had first hand knowledge? A witness? Anyone? Thought not. Chrono does not even the holocaust happened where 6 million Jews and millions of others were murdered. He is what is called....a Holocaust Denier. To believe anything that this person states regarding this time in history during the 1930's and 1940's should not be taken serious. To deny the Holocaust is to deny fact and reality.' Regarding the holocaust: Here are some links that totally debunk the myth/conspiracy theory that there was a holocaust of 6 million Jews that were destroyed.. http://zioncrimefactory.com/the-six-million-myth/ http://www.radioislam.org/historia/really/03.htm http://monamontgomery.com/products/271304.htm http://truedemocracyparty.net/2012/06/red-cross-expose-jewish-holocaust-hoax/ Be good kids, and learn something . | Politics Chat Room 55 People Chatting Similar Conversations |