Scandinavia in the first world war : studies in the war experience of the northern neutrals

»This is an important book for anyone interested in the broader impact of the Great War.«

Chicago Press »Scandinavia in the First World War really is a must if you want to get to know Scandinavia in 1914-18 and also paints vital background for the stance in 1939«

- Lars Gyllenhaal

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all managed to stay out of the First World War, but all three were deeply affected by it. When the trade war and blockades came into play, the Scandinavian countries were subject to relentless pressure. Inflation and shortages of consumer goods caused widespread hardship and, ultimately, political unrest. The result was the widening social divide and bitter political divisions that marked the interwar years.

In Scandinavia in the First World War, the authors analyse aspects of the military and economic consequences of the Great War, and explore how intellectuals engaged in political propaganda and the peace movement. They also look at the experiences of the groups who came into immediate contact with the war: seamen, journalists, volunteer nurses, and thousands of Scandinavian soldiers.

With a comparative introduction to the history of the Scandinavian countries during the First World War and detailed case-studies, this volume presents a wide-ranging survey of the situation in the neutral Scandinavian states.With its cross-disciplinary approach, it touches on cultural, social, and military history, as well as literary and minority studies.

Information text in Swedish about the book:

Danmark, Norge och Sverige lyckades samtliga klara sig utan direkt inblandning det första världskriget. Men kriget, som nästan hela Europa deltog i, kom ändå att på många sätt dominera livet även i Skandinavien – neutraliteten till trots. I Scandinavia in the First World War undersöker historiker och litteraturvetare de strömningarna, och analyserar militära och ekonomiska konsekvenser av konflikten.

Handelskrig och blockader skapade varubrist, fattigdom och oundvikligen även politisk oro. Detta märktes i de ökande sociala klyftorna och bittra åsiktsskillnader som kom att bestå under mellankrigstiden. Somliga människor kom också i direkt beröring med kriget: sjömän, journalister, frivilliga sjuksköterskor och tusentals soldater som krigade under främmande flagg.

Bokens inledande översikt och nyanserade detaljstudier utgör en fyllig helhet som iscensätter verkligheten som den upplevdes av människorna i Norden i krigets skugga.