FEATURES OF THE RELEASE OF SOVIET PRISONERS OF WAR DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Abstract

Prisoners of war are always in a vulnerable position during military conflicts because they are under the complete control of their enemies. It is, therefore, quite understandable that prisoners eagerly anticipate their release and seek any opportunity to hasten this process. During the Second World War, Soviet prisoners of war were among the most vulnerable social groups. This article analyzes the reasons, circumstances, and mechanisms that allowed captured Red Army soldiers to evade German capture on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. Based on legislative acts, directives, and orders from the highest party and military leadership of the Third Reich and the Soviet Union, the fundamental principles of the treatment policy for Soviet prisoners of war are clarified. The role of public organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Ukrainian Central Committee, in organizing efforts to free prisoners from German captivity is also examined. The study explores instances of the release of ethnic Ukrainians from captivity, which were the result of a specific policy of the Third Reich during the early stages of the war on the Eastern Front. These measures were intended to gain political leverage in the occupied Ukrainian territories. By analyzing occupation press, the study highlights the German administration’s efforts to create a myth of comfortable captivity conditions and to discredit the Red Army and the Bolshevik leadership of the Soviet Union. The reasons for discontinuing the policy of releasing Ukrainians from captivity are also explored. The work analyzes archival documents that provide evidence of the organization and execution of escapes under various detention conditions: from forced labor sites, during transfers, and from permanent detention facilities. Based on this evidence, the author concludes that the harsh moral and living conditions motivated Soviet prisoners to attempt escape. However, the radical and cruel policies implemented by the detention facility administrations induced fear among the prisoners and suppressed their desire to flee German captivity.