Why does everyone keep mentioning the Geneva Convention in relation to Japan in WWII?
March 10th, 2010 | by admin |From information I’ve gathered Japan had not signed the Geneva Convention so why were they expected to honor it? Why have I heard that they breached the Geneva Convention. I understand how they ignored humanitarian laws but how should it be related to the Geneva convention. I know the Geneva convention was made for numerous reasons to protect prisoners of war, etc, but I still can’t relate it.
Topically, Japan never signed the Convention. Other powers that did (USA, UK, Germany, etc.) tried to respect the Convention with their prisoners, if they ever got captured.
Since the Allied powers won the war, they could conduct war trials and charge violations against Japan through the Conventions. After all, the victors get to write the history books.
Unfortunately, since Japan became a stepping stone for American interests in an ever increasingly Communist Asia, many transgressions were conveniently swept under the table, like treatment of POWs as slave labor and atrocities similar to the Nazis.
One Response to “Why does everyone keep mentioning the Geneva Convention in relation to Japan in WWII?”
By seantvscholz on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Topically, Japan never signed the Convention. Other powers that did (USA, UK, Germany, etc.) tried to respect the Convention with their prisoners, if they ever got captured.
Since the Allied powers won the war, they could conduct war trials and charge violations against Japan through the Conventions. After all, the victors get to write the history books.
Unfortunately, since Japan became a stepping stone for American interests in an ever increasingly Communist Asia, many transgressions were conveniently swept under the table, like treatment of POWs as slave labor and atrocities similar to the Nazis.
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