European Neutrals and Non-Belligerents during the Second World War

Description

This collection provides a comprehensive English-language survey of the conduct of neutral and non-belligerent states during the war. Instead of narrowly focusing on the few neutrals that survived the war intact, the volume broadens our understanding of neutrality, by including chapters on 'non-belligerents' and those neutrals of south-east Europe, such as Romania and Yugoslavia. The essays focus on how individual neutral governments perceived international developments and throw light on the domestic political circumstances that critically affected their response to the course of the war. They therefore provide the political context that has been overlooked in controversies surrounding their humanitarian and financial activities. While based on the authors' own research, the essays draw widely on secondary literature and provide invaluable analytical introductions to the large amount of historical writing on these countries.

Review of the hardback: 'The attention properly given to historiography increases the book's value as a complement to mainline Second World War histories ... Not only do these essays modify our understanding of neutrality, they also prompt us to rethink the Second World War itself.' The Times Literary Supplement Review of the hardback: '... there is much to commend in this book ... It is a very accessible book which will give the undergraduate an understanding of how the war was seen in the varying categories of 'neutral' nations, and will help fill in some gaps for researchers working on the Second world war period.' History Review of the hardback: '... a very wide-ranging, but also a highly constructive treatment ... The editor is to be commended on bringing these essays together; without doubt the collection will be valuable to academics and students alike.' Diplomacy and Statecraft Review of the hardback: '... the book is attractively presented. There are handy short identifications of the contributors and the notes are at the bottom of the pages ...'. H-Diplo