This is a pictoral story of a Japanese soldier as a POW in Russia, very interesting and enlightening. Just go through the stories in the upper right.

The Notes of Japanese soldier in USSR

That was a great find !! I read all the stories and it looks like the Japanese survival rate of 10% was about the same for the German POW's taken to Russia. Thanks for posting that !

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I know that the Russians did not have many reasons to be kind to the POWs, hell the country was so busted up they could barely take care of their own people. I read an article about the condition of the Germans that surrendered at Stalingrad, they were so sick and starved a very large percentage died in the first few weeks after capture. The Russians tried to save some after they were shipped to the Khazahkistan area but the people there had little know how in caring for people in such poor condition, let alone the resources.

War is tragic. It's hard to think about at times. It also stated that many of the POWs stayed in Russia after the war voluntarily, not a lot but some did. I have never found any more info on that than a paragraph or 2.

Japanese Fatality Rates

I have seen numbers from 580000 to about 600000. Way more then what the Western Allies held. And most were captured in Manchuria. Many of them were kept and used as slave labor for years after the war And estimates of deaths while prisoners is estimated at about 60000.


Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Anguish of Surrender: Japanese ... - Google Book Search

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman

So only about 10% of the Japanese prisoners died, not 90%. The miracles of propaganda.

Very interesting critique of a book. Raises questions.

Not to be Liquidated

Well since I have heard it is a Revisionist and a denial site along with being an Irving supporter site I would take what it says very much with a grain of salt.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman

Interesting information Chuikov. You don't read about this too often. I once saw a documetary on TV . The Japanese relatives, mothers and widows had a MIA broadcasting up to the sixties which could be comparred to the German "WO BIST DU KAMARAD?" It finally stopped when they realised that no more convoys were returning from Russia. Those who were freed after many years (often up to the fifties) were often brainwashed with propaganda, or pretended to be to be allowed to go home.

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According to what JCF posted the vast majority of them returned to Japan before 1950. It's well known that POWs are at times used as bargaining chips and some are kept even longer for various reasons, war crimes suspects ect. Some are executed such as Gen B Von Sass. I do know that a lot of POWs were kept in Russia to help rebuild, don't forget how many people she lost in that war. It does seem just that the people who tore it up should stick around and help out. It would be even more just if the people who started it were there also.

Nonsense. What's the point? Maybe some were "brainwashed" (a word I do not think has any point in a civil debate) or convinced that there was a better way of doing things or something like that. What "brainwashing" was the author of this subjected too? When was he put in a dark room and bombarded with propaganda until his thought processes changed? Did they somehow alter the neural pathways and patterns for the brain? Did they use surgery or some kind of mysterious mind altering death ray of the socialist dialectic?

Sorry, I'll buy a dead cat on a chain before I give that concept any credibility.

I checked into it and it seems to be a site for some institute. I'll look some more. I never heard of this Irving guy. ???

Never heard of David Irving? That's a new one, how old are you? Here's a starter on him:

BBC NEWS | UK | Profile: David Irving
David Irving - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Irving case | Special reports | guardian.co.uk
David Irving: Britain's Holocaust "revisionist"

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"Never wrestle with pigs, you both end up getting dirty and the pig likes it."

David Irving
Holocaust Denial on Trial
http://www.jewishmag.com/79mag/irving/irving.htm

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman

Oh, that guy.

I still wonder though just what life was like for POWs in Russia. I have no doubt it was hard and we all know people can be cruel. Seems you can't get enough information on it, maybe it's just not there. I also have to take anythnig written in the west after the war about this with a grain of salt. Alot of stuff is good info alot is not. I'm going to look a little closer at him. Thanx for the link.

Its strange how so many Japanese surrended to the Russians yet so few surrendered to the Western Allies.

I think that just one of the reasons was the short length of time that the Soviets and Japanese were at war. And that the Emperor ordered them to surrender.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman

Perhaps it was a difference in attitude too. In one of the stills the Japanese apparently got more food than the Germans did. Such things can be the difference between life and death. If you were the cook doling out lunch and had lost people you know (possibly family members) would you show preference? Sad and cruel factor.