▁regime ▁was ▁im posed ▁to ▁co er ce ▁the ▁vict ims ▁into ▁signing ▁employ ment ▁contract s ▁under ▁dur ess ▁to ▁make ▁them ▁" vol unte ers ". ▁Cond itions ▁in ▁the ▁cam ps ▁were ▁so ▁poor ▁that ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁months , ▁ 1 , 3 1 6 ▁in m ates ▁died ; ▁despite ▁the ▁rig ours , ▁only ▁ 1 3 , 3 7 6 ▁Bel gi ans ▁capit ulated , ▁the ▁od ious ▁treatment ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁creating ▁anger ▁and ▁bit tern ess , ▁rather ▁than ▁doc ility . ▁The ▁Pope ▁condem ned ▁the ▁deport ations ▁and ▁neutral ▁opinion , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁was ▁more ▁out rag ed ▁than ▁at ▁any ▁time ▁since ▁the ▁fran cs - t ire ur ▁mass ac res ▁of ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁Well - att ended ▁r al lies ▁were ▁held ▁in ▁many ▁cities ▁and ▁attempts ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁President , ▁Wood row ▁Wilson , ▁to ▁medi ate ▁a ▁peace ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁combat ants ▁were ▁a ▁failure . ▁US ▁opinion ▁became ▁over wh el ming ly ▁pro - Ent ente ▁over ▁the ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 6 – 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Analysis ▁ ▁Ludwig ▁von ▁M ises ▁called ▁the ▁H inden burg ▁Program me ▁a ▁command ▁economy . ▁Enter pr ises ▁" not ▁important ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁economy " ▁were ▁closed ▁to ▁supply ▁more ▁workers . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Alexander ▁Watson ▁wrote ▁that ▁the