Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war, often called a POW, is a person held captive by a belligerent power. A belligerent power is a nation or group engaged in an armed conflict. This captivity usually occurs during or immediately after a war. The term "prisoner of war" has been used in English since at least 1610.

Captors hold prisoners for many strategic or political reasons. They may want to isolate combatants from the battlefield. Other reasons include demonstrating military victory or extracting military and political intelligence. Some groups use prisoners for labor exploitation, religious indoctrination, or even as new combatants through conscription.

In ancient history, the fate of captives was often unpredictable and harsh. For the Roman Empire, capture could lead to several different outcomes. A prisoner might be released, ransomed, executed, or sold into slavery.

Some prisoners even became gladiators in Roman arenas. These fighters were often categorized by their ethnic roots. For example, Samnites, Thracians, and Galli (Gauls) were common categories. These gladiators often fought using their own traditional weapons and combat styles. This gave them a distinct and exotic appearance to the Roman spectators.

History also shows individuals who acted with mercy toward captives. In the fourth century AD, St. Acacius of Amida helped Persian prisoners. These captives were held in appalling conditions and faced a life of slavery. Acacius sold precious gold and silver vessels from his church to ransom them.

In France, the nun Geneviève pleaded with King Clovis I for the welfare of prisoners. Her efforts led to the liberation of captives. These accounts highlight how individuals sometimes worked to mitigate the hardships of war.

However, many eras were defined by extreme violence against prisoners. During the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, King Henry V of England ordered the execution of French prisoners. He feared the prisoners might rejoin the fight or aid the enemy.

In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire used different rules for different cities. Cities that surrendered were often spared, though they had to support the Mongol army. Cities that resisted were often ransacked and their populations killed.

Similarly, the Aztecs captured people for religious sacrifice. During the re-consecration of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487, between 10,000 and 80,400 persons were sacrificed.

Religious conflicts also shaped the treatment of captives. During early Muslim conquests between 622 and 750, many prisoners were ransomed or enslaved. Muhammad established that the Islamic government should provide food and clothing to captives.

In the later Middle Ages, European religious wars often aimed to eliminate enemies. During the Crusades, Christian captives were frequently sold into slavery or killed if they could not pay a ransom. In some instances, naval forces used prisoners as galley slaves. At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, 12,000 Christian galley slaves were freed from Ottoman Turks.

Between the 16th and late 18th centuries, the management of prisoners changed in Europe. Captives shifted from being the private property of a captor to being state property. European states began to regulate the status and release of prisoners through international treaties.

The 1648 Peace of Westphalia was a major milestone. It established that prisoners should be released and allowed to return home without ransom after hostilities ended. Another development was the right of parole. This allowed captured officers to gain privileges by giving their word not to escape or fight against their captors.

In North America, the history of captivity includes narratives of European settlers. Mary Rowlandson wrote about her capture during King Philip's War in 1676. These writings helped create a popular literary genre known as the captivity narrative.

Later, in the 18th century, the British established purpose-built camps. The Norman Cross prison in England was built in 1797 to house prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars. It was intended to be a humane model depot. The population varied, reaching a high of 6,272 prisoners in April 1810. Even with quality food provided by the government, some prisoners died after gambling away their rations.