Page "Prisoner of war" Paragraph 39

There was however much harsh treatment of POWs in Germany, as recorded by the American ambassador to Germany ( prior to America's entry into the war ), James W. Gerard, who published his findings in " My Four Years in Germany ".

Even worse conditions are reported in the book " Escape of a Princess Pat " by the Canadian George Pearson.

It was particularly bad in Russia, where starvation was common for prisoners and civilians alike ; roughly 25 % of its 2 to 2. 4 million POWs died in captivity.

Nearly 375, 000 of the 500, 000 Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war taken by Russians perished in Siberia from smallpox and typhus.

In Germany food was short but only 5 % died.