[pelagonia]

I do not think that Germans can complain about the observation of basic rights, as Remi puts it. Germany was a signatory of the Geneva Convention, which stipulates (article 82) that all prisoners of war must be treated in accordance to it, regardless of the fact that the captured (Russian, in this case) soldiers belong to a state adhering to the convention or not. Nonetheless, nazi Germany managed to exterminate through mass executions and starvation almost 60% of the 6 millions Russian prisoners of war it took. The Russians in turn are probably responsible for the death of 1 million German POWs out of three taken. By 1955/6 - two years after Stalin's death - the last German prisoners were repatriated. I think that all considered, German POWs were luckier than their Russian counterparts. They started the war, choosing to invade a totalitarian country with a very bad record in the treatment of prisoners (nationals and not). Still, their rate of survival was twice as high as in German concentration camps. Reap what you sow...


Best,


Andrea