Talk:POW labor in the Soviet Union

It was noted[1] that Polish military could not have been formally classified as POW

• By whom? (The linked page isn't available.)
• The NKVD section organised forced work of POWs and interned people so why to divide the subject?
• Soviet texts shouldn't be literally understood. Xx234 (talk) 08:25, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

re:why divide? Be my guest. I wrote a stub (and some other stubs on the subject) simply to collect some info I came across and fix some confusion. And since then nobody gave a damn to the subject. -M.Altenmann >t 05:10, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

I stand corrected: my stub Forced labor of Germans in the Soviet Union grew quite profoundly. -M.Altenmann >t 05:47, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

re: Soviet texts. You are right, but what is the issue? -M.Altenmann >t 05:10, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

P.S. From Soviet Regulations about POW: Применение мер понуждения в целях получения от военнопленных сведений о положении их страны в военном или иных отношениях запрещается. So, you don't want to understand this text literally. Why? -M.Altenmann >t 06:38, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

Text in question, removed

It was noted that Polish military could not have been formally classified as POW, since there was no war announced by either side, and with some exceptions Polish forces did not resist to Soviet invasion.

Indeed, the statement (i.e., its logic) is strange. The source must be found and understood. (I did write this text, but I have no slightest recollection.) -M.Altenmann >t 05:10, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

Here is the text, from the introduction in the book:

Ведь даже согласно «Положению о военнопленных», как действующему официально, так и неутвержденному проекту, не говоря уже о нормах международного права, военнопленными признавались лица, принадлежащие к составу вооруженных сил государств, находящихся в состоянии войны с СССР, захваченные при военных действиях, а также граждане этих государств, интернированные на территории СССР. Но ведь между СССР и Польшей не было состояния войны, так как его не объявила ни одна из сторон. Следовательно, польских военнослужащих нельзя было и направлять в лагеря для военнопленных. Однако руководство СССР не обратило внимания на такую «мелочь».

I.e., the text refers to the Soviet "Regulations about the POW". However the subsequent phrasing "not to say about the norms of the international law" makes me think that the author has vague notions of this law, i.e. the Geneva Conventions (or, a smartass interpretation of the phrase "Members of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict": since the war was not declared, there was no conflict and hence no Party thereto, right?). -M.Altenmann >t 06:12, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

"руководство СССР не обратило внимания на такую «мелочь»" means to me, that there was no difference between treating of Polish POWs and internees in the SU 1939-1941. Xx234 (talk) 08:32, 7 January 2015 (UTC)

References