American Aid to Soviet POWs and Slave/Forced Labor in Germany

Figure 1.--Here American Red Cross workers in Germany are making the first distributing clothing to Soviet women straded iun thge former Reich (June 15, 1945). They were women rounded up and forced into cattle cars for slave/forced labor in the Reich. There were over 2 million Soviet wirkers in the Reich, mostly women. This was in addituion to the surviving Soviet POWs. This was a camp in Augsberg, a city in southrern Germany (Bavaria).

At the time of the NAZI surrender (May 1945) there were millions of Soviet citizens being held against their will in Germany. German victories beginning with Operation Barbarossa (1941) took vast numbers of Soviet POWs. Various sources suggest 3-6 million Soviet POWs. Many died during the firstr winter through deliberate starvation and exposure. When a labor shortage development, the Germans somewhat improved conditioned (1942) so about half of the Soviets POWs survived and were being held in Reich camps. In addition, as the labor shortage developoed, millions of Soviet workers were rounded up and shipped to the Reich as slave/forced labor. Most were teenagers and young women. This was more than an additional 2 million people. They were not treated as harshly as the POWs, but the arrest and transport was brutal and many arrived in poor health. And they were not well cared for in the Reich. American aid groups like the Red Cross attempted to assist both groups with food and clothing. Many were in desperate condition when Allied authorities got to them.

Created: 10:55 AM 4/23/2018
Last updated: 10:55 AM 4/23/2018