Axis Prisoners of War in Kentucky: Behind Barbed Wire in the Bluegrass State, 1941-1946

by Antonio S. Thompson

Overview

During World War II, Kentuckians rushed from farms to factories and battlefields, leaving agriculture throughout the state--particularly the lucrative tobacco industry--without sufficient labor. An influx of Axis prisoners of war made up the shortfall. Nearly 10,000 German and Italian POWs were housed in camps at Campbell, Breckinridge, Knox and other locations across the state. Under the Geneva Convention, they worked for their captors and helped save Kentucky's crops, while enjoying relative comfort as prisoners--playing sports, performing musicals and taking college classes. Yet, friction between Nazi and anti-Nazi inmates threatened the success of the program. This book chronicles the POW program in Kentucky and the vital contributions the Bluegrass State made to Allied victory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476650241
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	12/20/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	226
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Antonio S. Thompson is a professor of history at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He is the author of four books on World War II Axis prisoners of war in the United States, has co-edited two books on American military and diplomatic history, and has also published on zombie popular culture.
Antonio S. Thompson is a professor of history at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He is the author of two books on World War II German prisoners of war in the United States, has co-edited two volumes on American history, and has also published on zombie popular culture.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

delete Acknowledgments
delete Preface
delete 1. The Depression, World War II, and the Kentucky Home Front
delete 2. Kentucky Enters World War II
delete 3. Working for the Enemy: Axis Labor in Kentucky, 1942–1944
delete 4. The POW Labor Program, 1945–1946: Critical Manpower Shortages, the End of the War, and Full Employment
delete 5. Holes in the Barbed Wire: Escapes of Prisoners of War
delete 6. Problems with the POWs: Violence, Murder, and Nazi Influence Behind the Wire
delete 7. The Good Life: Camp Life, Coddling, and Fraternization
delete 8. Repatriation and the Results of the POW Program in Kentucky
delete Chapter Notes
delete Bibliography
delete Index