“Russian POWs during the Russo-Japanese War are way too relaxed lololol”

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A 2 chan Thread (2015)

The Title:

“Russian POWs during the Russo-Japanese War are way too relaxed lololol”

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NOTE:

The Russo-Japanese War (Russian: Русско-японская война, Russko-yaponskaya voyna; Japanese: 日露戦争, Nichi-ro sensō (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the Liaodong Peninsula and near Mukden in Southern Manchuria, with naval battles taking place in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan (From Wikipedia)

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1: (OP) 

Don’t you think they look too relaxed?

2: (OP)

5:

They were having fun alright.

7:

Apparently, they could freely go to shopping streets and onsen (hot springs) —way too chill for prisoners.

8:

They were pretty laid-back, huh?

10:(0P)

Being a POW must have felt like being in heaven compared to being on the battlefield.

11: (OP)

I wonder how Japanese POWs were treated…

13: (OP)

They even had proper graves built for them.

⭐️Link:

Russian Soldiers’ Cemetery 

14:

In a cultured country, it’s normal to treat prisoners with dignity.

17:

>>14

Well, during WWII, pretty much every country was a mess when it came to that…

18: (OP)

I used to think POWs were always horribly tortured and interrogated, but this totally changed my view.

21:

If you feed them burdock root, they say they were forced to eat tree roots. Japanese folks really have bad luck…

NOTE:

28:

>>21

To someone who’s never had burdock before, it literally just looks like a tree branch. No wonder they thought that.

22:

Before the World Wars, most countries still followed some kind of rules…

23: (OP)

There’s even a statue by the graves, gifted by the Russians as a symbol of friendship.

As for our current relationship with Russia…well, you know what it’s like.

⭐️NOTE:

Colonel Voizman (pictured above) refers to Vasily Voizman, a colonel in the Russian Navy who was held as a prisoner of war at the Matsuyama POW camp during the Russo-Japanese War. He died in Japan while still a prisoner and was buried in the Russian military cemetery. Matsuyama City became known for its friendly treatment of prisoners, earning such a positive reputation among Russian soldiers that, according to anecdote, some even shouted “Matsuyama!” when surrendering.

Colonel Voizman was captured during the Russo-Japanese War and interned at the POW camp in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. At the time, the city issued a directive stating that “Prisoners are not criminals,” and warmly welcomed the Russian soldiers. As a result, there was active interaction between the prisoners and local citizens in Matsuyama, and this goodwill spread among Russian soldiers as well. Colonel Voizman also passed away in Matsuyama and was buried in the Russian cemetery there. Even today, local residents and students continue to clean the cemetery and hold memorial services for the Russian soldiers.

The Matsuyama POW camp during the Russo-Japanese War was the first prisoner-of-war camp established in Japan, and it held approximately 6,000 Russian soldiers. Matsuyama was selected as a site for the camp due to several reasons: its calm harbor in the Seto Inland Sea, its convenient transportation access, its mild climate, and the availability of railway access from the port to the city.

(Source: Google AI) 

25:

Such BS.

The Bridge on the River Kwai shows POWs being treated horribly.

27:

>>25

That was after the World Wars. 

Shooting at POWs, beating them up and worse…

26: (OP)

Back then in Matsuyama, the prefecture issued a statement to the public:

“POWs are not criminals. They fought bravely for their country and lost. Do not insult them. Treat them with respect.”

29: (OP)

So it seems the treatment of POWs changed before and after the World Wars…

31:

>>29

Not just POWs—people say war as a whole changed completely.

32: (OP)

>>31

Is that so? Why did it change so drastically?

35:

>>32

To put it simply:

Wars turned into total wars.

37: (OP)

>>35

They weren’t total wars before?

40:

>>37

You could say the Russo-Japanese War was close to a total war, but before that? Not really.

42: (OP)

>>40

I see… so war itself really transformed.

33:

During the Russo-Japanese War, Japanese soldiers were also taken as POWs, but when they complained to Russia, it was like:

“Field-grade officers are only getting the same allowance as junior officers! And non-commissioned officers aren’t getting any at all—so officers are giving them their own money! Fix this!”

That was their formal complaint.

36:

>>33

LMAO complaining about ALLOWANCE 😂

38: (OP)

Here’s the source of the photos in >>1 and 2:

http://dayzi.com/a-izinkatuta2.html

39:

Before WW2, wars were often a brutal mess, yet there were still these heartwarming moments, huh. 

41:

>>39

We’ll probably never see another Christmas truce again…

44: (OP)

After all is said and done, soldiers are just fighting for their country…

 (´・ω・｀)

48:

I love the story where Japanese and Russian soldiers bartered goods during the truce at Port Arthur.

51: (OP)

>>48

What’s that?! Please tell me more.

54:

>>51

During the Siege of Port Arthur, they’d sometimes have 24-hour ceasefires to recover bodies. During those times, they’d trade vodka and cigarettes.

Some accounts even say that when Russia surrendered, both sides came into the city and partied together.

56:

>>54

Wow, that actually happened?

Even though they were killing each other, without war in the way, they could form friendships. 

That’s kind of bittersweet.

49: (OP)

Now I really want to study more modern history.

52:

In Western tradition, nobles—even if captured—were to be treated with respect.

Since officers were from the nobility, their treatment as POWs was guaranteed.

But with the rise of nation-states, regular people—not nobles—became soldiers, and their contribution started deciding the outcomes of wars.

So people said, “Hey, let’s treat all POWs fairly, not just officers,” and that’s what the Hague Convention was about.

But during the World Wars, global cooperation collapsed, the League of Nations was ineffective, and ethnic conflicts and total war meant no one really cared about the rules anymore. Hence the disasters we saw.

53: (OP)

>>52

Ahh, so that’s how things turned so grim…

59:

There’s a story about Japanese POWs detained by the Soviet Union. The food was so awful that they organized a protest.

But when they went to complain, they saw the Soviet officers eating the exact same thing, so they called off the protest.

Sounds like a lie, but it’s a real story.

65:

>>59

No way LOL

That’s actually kind of funny.

62:

I’m curious how POWs were treated during the 18th century and the Napoleonic Wars.

Officers were nobles, so they probably got decent treatment, but what about the regular soldiers…?

75:

>>62

Either executed on the spot, sent to the rear, or packed into barracks until the war ended.

Sometimes ransoms were paid to get POWs back.

They were also used as bargaining chips in postwar negotiations, so some level of treatment was expected.

If you were an officer and a noble, you’d get fancy meals, nice clothes, and a comfortable life.

67:

All I see are souvenir photos 😂

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⭐️Video:

How to Cook Kinpira Gobō (burdock root)

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MAY PEACE BE UPON ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

(From SAYA❤️)