British Prisoners of War in First World War Germany

An original investigation dedicated to the captivity experiences of British military servicemen captured by Germany in the First World War.

Oliver Wilkinson (Author)

9781316648872, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 March 2019

322 pages, 25 b/w illus.
23 x 15.3 x 2 cm, 0.4 kg

'Compelling, comprehensive, and original, based on an impressive range of sources, this book is a major contribution to the scholarship on First World War captivity.' Heather Jones, The London School of Economics and Political Science

Over 185,000 British military servicemen were captured by the Germans during the First World War and incarcerated as prisoners of war (POWs). In this original investigation into their experiences of captivity, Wilkinson uses official and private British source material to explore how these servicemen were challenged by, and responded to, their wartime fate. Examining the psychological anguish associated with captivity, and physical trials, such as the controlling camp spaces; harsh routines and regimes; the lack of material necessities; and, for many, forced labour demands, he asks if, how and with what effects British POWs were able to respond to such challenges. The culmination of this research reveals a range of coping strategies embracing resistance; leadership and organisation; networks of support; and links with 'home worlds'. British Prisoners of War in First World War Germany offers an original insight into First World War captivity, the German POW camps, and the mentalities and perceptions of the British servicemen held within.

Introduction
Part I. Behind the Wire: 1. Capture
2. The camps
3. Routine, work and discipline
4. Necessities of life
Part II. Prisoner Responses: 5. Resistance
6. Leadership and organisation
7. Friends and feuds
8. Linking with home
Conclusion: 9. Repatriation, futures and myths.

Subject Areas: Prisoners of war [JWXR], First World War [HBWN], Military history [HBW], Social & cultural history [HBTB], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], British & Irish history [HBJD1], European history [HBJD]