Since 12 August 1949 the Geneva Convention has governed the treatment of prisoner's of war. Prior to its ratification the treatment of POWs was governed by international law under the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Red Cross had established sweeping reforms to the Hague regulations which dealt specifically with the treatment of POWs. Western nations, including Germany ratified the regulations in 1929. Japan abstained from the actual convention but accepted the convention, and in 1942 was ready to apply it. Although there are consequences for the mistreatment of prisoners of war, the fate of the prisoner is in the hands of the hosting nation regardless of their intent to follow international law. This was the case during World War II, when Allied forces were taken prisoner by Japan. It is not officially known whether or not the Japanese government made the military aware of...