Thesis Statement. Despite the best intentions of the Geneva Conventions to instill humanitarian principles amongst nations at war, the treaties had a minimal effect on the treatment of American Prisoners of War during World War II (WW II), the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Discussion. This study addresses and challenges the issue of the Geneva Conventions related to the handling and conduct toward American prisoners of war through several major wars involving the United States. Conclusion. The historical problems with the Geneva Conventions are not inherent within the treaties. Rather, they are based on the unwillingness of the belligerents to comply with the specifications that the treaties mandate. Nations developed and signed the Geneva Conventions seeking humane treatment for all persons taken out of the fight. However, the treaties had a minimal effect on the treatment of American prisoners of war during WW II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

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