Camp Alva suppression by recreation

Abstract

Throughout the Second World War, there was a plethora of Prisoner of War (POW) camps that were run throughout Europe. The growing numbers of captured and surrendered Axis prisoners resulted in the United States to develop their own POW camp system. One of the largest constituencies of prisoners held in the U.S. was German. Nearly 400,000 German POWs were held in the U.S., and a large majority of them held some kind of Nazi affiliation. American authorities tried to develop a strict Nazi camp in Alva, OK, to protect other prisoners and citizens while in captivity. In the first year of the camp's existence, American authorities carried out extremely strict policies that still adhered to the Geneva Convention of 1929, but limited recreational privileges. The result was a failure as contemptuous prisoners carried out deeds detrimental to the administration's goal. However, in the following years changes in leadership and policies resulted in expanded recreational spaces and activities that resulted in a dramatic drop in unwanted prisoner actions. To a degree, the later policies and leaders were successfully in suppressing the Nazi enthusiasts and troublemakers that were held at Alva through recreation, while maintaining the integrity of the Geneva Convention.