The Great Escapes of World War I

At the end of the 19th century, following the Crimean and Austro-Prussian wars, the Hague Conventions were initiated by Tsar Nicholas II, so that politicians from all over the world could thrash out the legalities of war, particularly with reference to captured soldiers. Chapter two of the convention, which was eventually signed in 1907, states that:‘Prisoners of war are in the power of the hostile Government, but not of the individuals or corps who capture them. They must be humanely treated. All their personal belongings, except arms, horses and military papers, remain their property.’