Axis Prisoners of War

Abstract

The handling of Axis prisoners of war (POWs) became an unavoidable irritant in Franco-American relations. The US Army was obliged to follow the Geneva Convention on the treatment of POWs, which the French populace saw as leniency. They especially resented the generous food rations allotted to enemy POWs while the French went without, and no one wanted POW camps nearby. Although separating French citizens from Axis POWs was easily accomplished, the French SS posed another problem. The French demanded that German POWs undertake the dangerous work of clearing land mines, and they resented liberties granted to Italian POWs.