Az Osztrák–Magyar Monarchia fogolytáborai A tömeges megsemmisítés hálózata?

Abstract

For decades, the history of the First World War was an underexplored area of research, leading to a lack of focus on the issue of POWs. This scarcity of literature resulted in limited public awareness about captured soldiers, preventing them from being recognized among the commemorated veterans of the war. Consequently, misconceptions about POWs flourished, as there were few researchers to challenge the prevailing narratives. In this presentation, we will outline the key features of Serbian POW camps, including the experiences of Austro-Hungarian soldiers held there. We will discuss the main challenges faced and compare the operations of the Monarchy’s POW camps with those of the Kingdom of Serbia, emphasizing critical issues. Additionally, we will address controversial claims often found in Serbian academic discourse and seek to refute them using primary and secondary sources. The presentation will explore whether the POW camps in the Monarchy were precursors to German Nazi concentration camps designed for the extermination of POWs, or if they represented a fundamentally different system.