Prisoners of War

Prisoners of War are those who are captured from the enemy during naval or military operations. By the laws or recognised principles of war, the entire people of a vanquished town, state, or nation become the absolute property of the victors. In ancient times the treatment of prisoners of war was very severe. In the Greek wars it was no uncommon thing to put the whole adult male population of a conquered state to the sword, while the women and children were enslaved. Although the putting to death of prisoners became less frequent, they and their families were commonly reduced to slavery to as recent a period as the 13th century. The act of Napoleon in putting to death the Turkish prisoners of war at Jaffa in 1799 was universally condemned, and is probably the last instance of such barbarity. Notwithstanding frequent exchanges, large numbers of prisoners accumulate during war. In 1811 about 47,600 French were prisoners in England, while 10,300 English languished in the prisons of France. By the end of the Franco-German war of 1870-71 about 300,000 French troops had been sent to Germany as prisoners of war, many of the officers being released on Parole (q.v.). During the South African war, 1899-1900, many of the Boer prisoners were sent for safe keeping to St Helena and Ceylon.