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Dissertation Information for Daniel Krebs

NAME:
- Daniel Krebs

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- History

SCHOOL:
- Emory University (USA) (2007)

ADVISORS:
- James Van Horn Melton

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Sharon T. Strocchia
- Fred Anderson

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Approaching the enemy: German captives in the American War of Independence, 1776--1783

Abstract: This dissertation examines the lives and experiences of common German prisoners of war in the American War of Independence. Little is known about these or other prisoners. Soldiers who did not give all for their country, who lost in battle, who did not make for good heroes, found little place in traditional military history focused on the tactical, strategic, and operational parameters of conflict. For the most part, historians have ignored prisoners of war and overlooked that captive soldiers could act and function as bridges of communication, objects of indoctrination, or agents of change in society.

Focusing on the history of experience and everyday life, I emphasize the centrality of captivity in the Revolutionary War. German soldiers were made prisoners of war in rituals of surrender designed to legitimize the American rebellion. In captivity, they allowed American revolutionaries to boost morale, they became sought-after prisoner-laborers, and they were a means to control local communities. Later in the war, American revolutionaries even attempted to turn German (but not British) prisoners into a national citizenry. These efforts presented the prisoners with substantial freedom of action. They exploited the situation and adapted to changing expectations of their captors and superiors.

What distinguishes my study from others in the field is that I shift the conversation from war and society to war in society. Between 1776 and 1783, we can see how an American way of captivity developed out of the confluence of European and American traditions in an Atlantic world shaped by migration and labor. Overall, the war marked a profound change regarding the customs and norms of the treatment of prisoners of war in Western society. Thus, the implications of my dissertation extend far beyond the specific chronological and geographic scope of the German prisoners whom I study.

MPACT Scores for Daniel Krebs

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A+C = 0
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TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-03-16 12:42:24

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Students under Daniel Krebs

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None