Railways and the Everyday Life of Prisoners of War in the Russian Empire during the First World War

The First World War was the first war in which millions of people were taken prisoner by both sides. However, little has been written about the railways as part of the everyday lives of prisoners of war. This paper presents a socio-cultural analysis of the role of railways in the lives and activities of prisoners of war during the Great War in the Russian Empire, focusing on the Trans-Siberian Railway. After being captured by Russian troops on the Eastern Front, Austro-Hungarian officers and soldiers were transported to assembly camps in the rear to be distributed according to their nationality to other camps throughout Russia. Most of the Austrians and Hungarians were transported to Siberia and the Far East, while their fellow countrymen of Slavic origin remained in the central provinces of Russia. As a result, the citizens of the Danube Monarchy had different experiences of imprisonment and transport.