Prisoner of war the custody of a person, then the responsibility was on the individual. The freeing of prisoners was highly recommended as a charitable act. The 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War, established the rule that prisoners of war should be released without ransom at the end of hostilities and that they should be allowed to return to their homelands. There also evolved the right of "parole", French for "discourse", in which a captured officer surrendered his sword and gave his word as a gentleman in exchange for privileges. If he swore not to escape, he could gain
Treaty of Compiègne (1624) Treaty of Compiègne (1624) The Treaty of Compiègne of 10 June 1624 was a peace treaty between France and the Netherlands. It allowed France to subsidize the Dutch war effort against Spain in the Dutch War of Independence (1568–1648) after the end of the Twelve Years' Truce. France offered an immediate loan of 480,000 thalers, to be followed by more instalments over a period of three years in which the Dutch would continue the fight against Spain. This move was part of the general effort of France to undermine the Habsburg Empire. It led to the revival of a Franco-Dutch