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The Resource Murder and martial justice: : spying and retribution in World War II America, Meredith Lentz Adams

Murder and martial justice: : spying and retribution in World War II America, Meredith Lentz Adams

Creator
Summary
During World War II, the United States maintained two secret interrogation camps in violation of the Geneva Convention-one just south of Washington, D.C., and the other near San Francisco. German POWs who passed through these camps briefed their fellow prisoners, warning them of turncoats who were helping the enemy-the United States-pry secrets from them. One of these turncoats, Werner Drechsler, was betrayed and murdered by those he spied on. U.S. military authorities reacted harshly to Drechsler's death, even though he was not the first captive to be assassinated by his fellow POWs. How had military intelligence been compromised? Were fanatical Nazis terrorizing their countrymen on American soil? Would Hitler take reprisals against the GIs he held if the United States did not protect the German POWs from violence and death while confined at the interrogation camps? At one of the secret camps, U.S. officials forced Drechsler's seven murderers to confess. The next problem faced by authorities was how to court-martial them when their confessions were legally invalid. Their secret trial was stage-managed to deliver death sentences while apparently complying with U.S. and international law. This presented U.S. authorities with further problems. The Geneva Convention entitled the prisoners' governments to the full facts about their crimes, trials, and sentencing. Despite escalating German complaints, the War Department adopted a policy of giving as little information as possible about any of the several POW murder trials in order to avoid releasing inconvenient facts about the Drechsler case. Unsurprisingly, the Reich began sentencing GIs to death. Gambling with American lives, the War Department stalled every German attempt to trade these men for the convicted German murderers until the war ended. Every American was saved; every German but one was hanged. The Drechsler case foreshadows current controversies: creative circumvention of the Geneva Convention, secret interrogation centers, torture, and the consequent problem of how to provide a fair trial to prisoners coerced into self-incrimination. Author Meredith Lentz Adams sees a familiar pattern of cover-ups, leading to difficulties with public and international relations. In contrast to recent policies, she points out how leaders during World War II felt constrained by their respect for Geneva and by fear of retribution against their own soldiers. Murder and Martial Justice is a fascinating and provocative book that will appeal to those with an interest in World War II, POWs, international law, foreign policy, and true crime history
Language
eng
Work
Instance
Label
Murder and martial justice: : spying and retribution in World War II America
Title
Murder and martial justice:
Title remainder
spying and retribution in World War II America
Statement of responsibility
Meredith Lentz Adams
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
During World War II, the United States maintained two secret interrogation camps in violation of the Geneva Convention-one just south of Washington, D.C., and the other near San Francisco. German POWs who passed through these camps briefed their fellow prisoners, warning them of turncoats who were helping the enemy-the United States-pry secrets from them. One of these turncoats, Werner Drechsler, was betrayed and murdered by those he spied on. U.S. military authorities reacted harshly to Drechsler's death, even though he was not the first captive to be assassinated by his fellow POWs. How had military intelligence been compromised? Were fanatical Nazis terrorizing their countrymen on American soil? Would Hitler take reprisals against the GIs he held if the United States did not protect the German POWs from violence and death while confined at the interrogation camps? At one of the secret camps, U.S. officials forced Drechsler's seven murderers to confess. The next problem faced by authorities was how to court-martial them when their confessions were legally invalid. Their secret trial was stage-managed to deliver death sentences while apparently complying with U.S. and international law. This presented U.S. authorities with further problems. The Geneva Convention entitled the prisoners' governments to the full facts about their crimes, trials, and sentencing. Despite escalating German complaints, the War Department adopted a policy of giving as little information as possible about any of the several POW murder trials in order to avoid releasing inconvenient facts about the Drechsler case. Unsurprisingly, the Reich began sentencing GIs to death. Gambling with American lives, the War Department stalled every German attempt to trade these men for the convicted German murderers until the war ended. Every American was saved; every German but one was hanged. The Drechsler case foreshadows current controversies: creative circumvention of the Geneva Convention, secret interrogation centers, torture, and the consequent problem of how to provide a fair trial to prisoners coerced into self-incrimination. Author Meredith Lentz Adams sees a familiar pattern of cover-ups, leading to difficulties with public and international relations. In contrast to recent policies, she points out how leaders during World War II felt constrained by their respect for Geneva and by fear of retribution against their own soldiers. Murder and Martial Justice is a fascinating and provocative book that will appeal to those with an interest in World War II, POWs, international law, foreign policy, and true crime history
Member of
Cataloging source
Midwest
http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/collectionName
hoopla (Digital media service)
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1938-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Adams, Meredith Lentz
Dewey number
940.54/87430973
Index
no index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
dictionaries
Series statement
True crime history series
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • Prisoners of war
  • Prisoners of war
  • Germans
  • Spies
  • Murder
  • Retribution
  • Prisoners of war
  • Torture
  • Executions and executioners
Target audience
adult
Label
Murder and martial justice: : spying and retribution in World War II America, Meredith Lentz Adams
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier.
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent.
Control code
MWT11753557
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource.
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Isbn
9781612775180
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia.
Media type code
  • c
Publisher number
MWT11753557
Specific material designation
remote
Stock number
11753557
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Label
Murder and martial justice: : spying and retribution in World War II America, Meredith Lentz Adams
Link
Publication
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier.
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent.
Control code
MWT11753557
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource.
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Isbn
9781612775180
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia.
Media type code
  • c
Publisher number
MWT11753557
Specific material designation
remote
Stock number
11753557
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web

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