The Unconditional Surrender of Germany in the American Perspective: The Case of German Prisoners of War (1945-1947)

Abstract

At the end of WWII Germany had to face a difficult situation posed by a military occupation over its territory and by a division into four zones. At the basis of that complete loss of authority for Germany, there is a written agreement that formalized the surrender, also known as Unconditional Surrender. From a juridical point of view, the Unconditional Surrender is a special category of capitulation which leaves open the possibility for the victorious powers of adding further provisions. The case of German Prisoners of War in the U.S. sector (1945-1947) is to be considered and analyzed in the light of the above-mentioned legal framework.