Lesson

The Enemy in Our Own Backyard!

Lesson Overview

For many rural counties, the only exposure to the infamous Nazis was from newspapers, newsreels, and other war time propaganda which portrayed these soldiers as arrogant, deceitful, and even evil. However, by 1943 the tide of the war was beginning to turn and rural South Carolinians, including Florence residents would come face to face with Hitler’s so called “Supermen” and have many of their labor needs met as well.The first German POWs arrived in South Carolina in September of 1943. What they would do and how they would be treated when they arrived in South Carolina were largely dictated by location and guidelines set down by the Geneva Convention.This lesson gives students a glimpse of German POWs in South Carolina.

Duration
1-2 hours
Lesson Type
Traditional Lesson