THE ISSUE OF OBSERVING THE LEGAL STATUS OF PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN 1914–1918

Abstract

Purpose of the study – to explore the issue of observance of normative legal acts, signed on the eve of the war, which regulated the issue of detention of prisoners of war in the Russian Empire during the specified period. Methodology of the study is based on the principles of historicism, scientificity, systematicity, as well as the use of general scientific and special historical methods. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that this article sets out the basic requirements regarding detention of prisoners of war signed by the Russian Empire on the eve of the war, and comparing them with the economic capabilities of the empire, the reason for their non-compliance is clarified. Conclusions. The weak fighting spirit of the Austrian-Hungarian army, as well as the normative legal base which was too humane for detention of prisoners of war, caused the situation when the soldiers who were unwilling to fight, yielded themselves prisoners, which resulted in the mass surrender of its soldiers and officers to the extent which was not provided by the agreements regulating the detention conditions of prisoners of war, signed on the eve of war. In addition, economic hardships caused by the war and exhaustion, which became a real challenge for the warring countries, did not contribute to the observance of legal status of the prisoners of war. Moreover, the Russian Empire had great difficulty maintaining its own army in accordance with the regulatory requirements, to say nothing of 2 million prisoners of war. On this basis, the author concludes that the war-torn Russian empire could not fulfill all its obligations, undertaken with respect to prisoners of war, and therefore they were only partially implemented as far as the country’s economy permitted.