Prizonierii de război români aflați în captivitate otomană

This article examines a lesser-known dimension of Romania's participation to the First World War: the fate of the Romanian prisoners of war held in captivity by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire. The research combines archival sources with memoirs and war journals of former combatants who survived WWI captivity. The analysis focuses on several factors: contemporary international legislation on rights and duties regarding the POW status; the context of their captivity; the conditions in POWs camps; official initiatives to improve the status of the POWs (including payments for the officers according to their rank); the involvement of international humanitarian and relief organizations (e.g., the International Red Cross and the International Prisoners of War Agency); and, the process of repatriation. The contribution shows that the initial harsh conditions in the POWs camps gradually improved due to bilateral negotiations between Romania and the Ottoman Empire (mediated by the Royal Legation of Spain in Constantinople), and because of the intervention of international relief organizations. The latter offered support to the POWs by facilitating correspondence with families at home, by providing food supplies, and by offering medical assistance.