How did the 1929 Geneva Convention protect prisoners of war?

The 1929 Geneva Convention, formally known as the Convention Relating to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, established essential legal protections for prisoners of war to ensure their safety and dignity during international conflicts.

Under this convention, belligerent nations were required to adhere to the following mandates:

• Humane Treatment: Captors were obligated to treat prisoners humanely, ensuring they were not subjected to abuse or neglect.12
• Information Exchange: Belligerents were required to furnish information regarding the prisoners they held.12
• Neutral Oversight: Nations were required to permit official visits to prison camps by representatives of neutral states to monitor conditions and compliance.12

These rules were developed to address the shortcomings of previous international agreements and to provide a more structured framework for the treatment of captives in the law of war. While these standards were intended to be universal, their effectiveness during World War II was inconsistent, as some nations had not ratified the agreement or chose to disregard its humanitarian principles.31