Postal censorship

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Postal censorship is the inspection or examination of mail, most often by governments, that can include opening, reading or marking of covers, postcards, parcels or other postal packets. Postal censorship primarily takes place during war time or periods of unrest, though occasionally during other times, like; periods of civil disorder or a state of emergency, as was the case in Ireland during 1939-1945. Both covert and overt postal censorship have taken place.

Historically postal censorship is a very old practice it is usually linked to espionage and intelligence gathering. Mail subjected to postal censorship can be civilian mail, or military mail, and in most countries where postal censorship takes place, or has taken place, different organisations perform censorship on these types of mail. In 20th century wars the objectives of postal censorship encompass economic warfare, security and intelligence.

Currently the United States Department of Homeland Security is reported to be opening civil mail.^[1]

The study of postal censorship is a philatelic topic of postal history.

1 Military mail
2 POW and Internee mail
3 Civil mail
4 Countries known to have enacted postal censorship
5 References and Sources
- 5.1 Books
- 5.2 Papers
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Military mail

Military mail is not always censored by opening or reading the mail but military mail can include mail during war time or during military campaigns. Military mail is most often distributed by a totally military controlled postal system separate to that of civilian mail. Military intelligence has different requirement than civilian intelligence gathering. During times of war mail from the front is often opened and offending parts blanked or cut out.

[edit] POW and Internee mail

POW and internee mail is also subject to postal censorship, under Articles 70 and 71 of the Third Geneva Convention (1929-1949). It is frequently subjected to both military and civil postal censorship because it passes through both postal systems.

1940 civil cover from Madrid to Paris opened by both Spanish and French (Vichy)authorities

[edit] Civil mail

Until recent years, the monopoly to carry civilian mails has usually been vested in governments^[2]^[3] so they have had the ability to easily control and enact postal censorship within the postal distribution systems they control. The type of information obtained from civilian mail is different from that likely to be found in military mail.

[edit] Countries known to have enacted postal censorship

Incomplete list

British colonies and territories are listed with United Kingdom

[edit] Pre-World War I

[edit] World War I

[edit] Between the wars

Austria 1919

Belgium 1919

German Weimar Republic 1919

Italian occupation of Ethiopia 1935-1936 [6]

Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

Soviet Union 1919

[edit] World War II

French Protectorates: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco

French Possessions Overseas

Germany

Occupied Territories: Belgium. Denmark, France, Greece, Norway and Serbia

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Occupied Territories: Albania, Greece, France Monaco and Savoie, and Italian East Africa

Latvia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Colonies: Dutch Antilles, Surinam and Dutch East Indies

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Soviet Union

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Dominions: Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Rhodesia and Union of South Africa

Colonies: Aden, Antigua, Ascension Island, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Ceylon, Cyprus, Dominica, Egypt, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Gibraltar, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Gold Coast, Gibraltar, Granada, British Guiana, British Honduras, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaya, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Hebrides, Nigeria, North Borneo, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Palestine, Penang, St. Helena, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent, Sarawak, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, British Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Tanganyika, Trinidad, Tonga, Uganda, Virgin Islands and Zanzibar,

Yugoslavia

[edit] References and Sources

^ [1] Homeland Security opening private mail (retrieved 21 August 2006)
^ [2] Pushing the Envelope (retrieved 21 August 2006)
^ [3] The (US) Postal Monopoly (retrieved 21 August 2006)

[edit] Books

Mark FRPSL, Graham (2000). British Censorship of Civil Mails During World War I. Bristol, UK: The Stuart Rossiter Trust Fund. ISBN 0-9530004-1-9.

Little, D.J. (2000). British Empire Civil Censorship Devices, World War II: Colonies and Occupied Territories - Africa, Section 1. UK: Civil Censorship Study Group. ISBN 0-9517444-0-2.

Torrance, A.R., & Morenweiser, K. (1991). British Empire Civil Censorship Devices, World War II: United Kingdom, Section 2. UK: Civil Censorship Study Group. ISBN 0-9517444-1-0.

Stich, Dr. H.F., Stich, W., Sprecht, J. (1993). Civil and Military Censorship During World War II. Canada: Stich, Stich and Sprecht. ISBN 0-9693788-2-3.

Wolter, Karl Kurt (1965). Die Postzensur: Band I - Vorzeit, Früheit und Neuzeit (bis 1939). Munich: Georg Amm.

(1996) Herbert, E.S., & des Graz, C.G.: History of the Postal and Telegraph Censorship Department 1938-1946 Volume I & II. Civil Censorship Study Group by permission of Public Records Office, Kew, UK.

Harrison, Galen D. (1997). Prisoners' Mail from the American Civil War. Dexter, MI: Galen D. Harrison (?).