History of Prisoner of War Utilization by the United States Army 1776 - 1945

Man power has been at a premium in nearly every major war in which the United States has participated. In the event of a future conflict against a foe who may be numerically superior, every available source of manpower may have to be used. This will include captured enemy personnel. The successful prosecution of the war may depend upon the utilization of these prisoners of war.

Up to this time no record of the use of prisoners of war in past wars of the United States has been available. This study prepared for the Office of the Chief of Military History of the United States Army will fill the void and provide detailed information on the Army's use of prisoners of war in the past.

The study is divided into three parts. Part One, " The Early Wars," contains three chapters covering the period from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. Part Two, " The Beginnings of Global Warfare," contains three chapters covering the period from the Spanish-American War to the beginning of World War II. Part Three, " World War II," contains the bulk of the study. The planning, policies, interested agencies, and actual employment both in the continental United States and in overseas theaters are presented in detail.