Prisoners

The photograph shows a group of prisoners captured by the rebels. The two sides used very similar procedures for dealing with prisoners of war. First, their equipment and weapons – if they had any - were taken away. Then the camp officer took a statement from them. After that, the organisms that oversaw the treatment of prisoners held a second interrogation in which they recorded details such as the military organization of the prisoner’s unit, the positions in each sector, the approximate number of units, light and heavy artillery placements, and the “enemy’s” morale.

On both sides, the prisoner’s past was analyzed in order to decide what to do with him. Unlike in wars between nations, not all prisoners were punished. Some were incorporated into the unit that had captured them. Prisoners taken by the rebels who were not put into their army were sent to a concentration camp or labour battalion. Prisoners taken by the Republicans were generally sent to labour battalions. Another, more drastic option, was to shoot prisoners on the spot.

Since both armies drafted men who held political ideas different from those for which they fought, they were forced to establish systems for classifying prisoners. As a result, after the requisite interrogations and a brief investigation, many prisoners were sent back to the front. Some of them were kept under surveillance by the intelligence services.

Nevertheless, many of the prisoners taken by the rebels were sent to concentration camps or labour battalions. The photograph shows how they were treated before their fate was decided. The Republicans also had prison camps, but not as many and not as harsh as those of the rebels. Their purpose was to keep the prisoners under control until their future had been decided.

FLC