Geneva Convention

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Overstepping the boundaries: A study of the rules established at the 1929 Geneva Conventions and interpretations in WWII. U.S. History Period 2 Following World War I, a convention was held in Geneva, Switzerland. This meeting was established to feature a system of laws and rules put in place to determine the treatment and rights of military Prisoners of War, or POW’s. “The Convention laid down rules for the health, welfare, and right of Communication of those held prisoner; It limited the ways in which they could be disciplined and punished, and it stipulated that while they could be required to work, their labor should be of nonmilitary nature and they should be paid for it.” The meeting was held in July of 1929 with the final document being signed on the twenty-ninth. The document was agreed on by many countries including Germany, the United States, and Great Britain. Ironically, Japan signed but did not ratify the document, and the USSR did not attend the convention. This convention set the standards for the treatment of Prisoners of War and injured and incapable soldiers. However, were the rules and regulations set forth in this agreement complied with throughout the impending confrontation of World War II? Author, Lee Kennet states, “In Practice both the Germans and the Japanese violated various provisions of the convention…” While all forces say they were abiding by these rules there were some who made their own. The horrific treatment and painful torture and deaths to POW’s cannot go untold. The examples of violations of the “Geneva Convention” can be documented over and over again. The research documentation available to collaborate the wartime violations include McDonogh alumnus Donald L. Hilden... ... middle of paper ... ... and unruly reprimand, the Geneva Treaty in action today would be a site to see. Would all nations have to be held to the same standards, or would the treaties be lost in the chaos of war? Bibliography “Geneva Conventions,” International Military and Defense Encyclopedia. 6 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1993. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. Hildenbrand, Donald, World War II History of Donald L. Hildenbrand. Kennet, Lee B. G.I. The American Soldier in World War II. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1987. 184. Maher, Jack, Watersmeet to Waters Part. February 13, 2001. McDonogh School Yearbook *- I will find out how to cite this for the final. "Prisoners of War in Britain.”. . http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/dixie/921/PoWs/pows.htm (accessed January 13, 2008).

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