Scandinavia and the Great Powers in the First World War - (New Approaches to International History) by Michael Jonas (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This study is among the first works in English to comprehensively address the Scandinavian First World War experience in the larger international context of the war. It surveys the complex relationship between the belligerent great powers and Northern Europe's neutral small states in times of crisis and war.

The book's overreaching rationale draws upon three underlying conceptual fields: neutrality and international law, hegemony and great power politics as well as diplomacy and policy-making of small states in the international arena. From a variety of angles, it examines the question of how neutrality was understood and perceived, negotiated and dealt with both among the Scandinavian states and the belligerent major powers, especially Britain, Germany and Russia.

For a long time, the experience of neutral countries during the First World War was seen as marginal, and was overshadowed by the experiences of occupation and collaboration brought about by the Second World War. In this book, Jonas demonstrates how this perception has changed, with neutrality becoming an integral part of the multiple narratives of the First World War. It is an important contribution to the international history of the First World War, cultural-historically influenced approaches to diplomatic history and the growing area of neutrality studies.

Review Quotes

Michael Jonas shows in this book a remarkable width and depth of scholarship on early twentieth century Scandinavian history. As he so convincingly points out, the big drama of 1914-1918 had both its peculiarities and long-lasting consequences for this realm of Northern Europe.
Henrik Meinander, Professor of History, University of Helsinki, Finland

The book is written clearly and students of Scandinavia in the First World War will certainly find it most instructive.
Michigan War Studies Review

This book makes clear that world wars have no "neutral states." The Scandinavian states both impacted the war and had their own histories fundamentally shaped by it. This book gives us new and critical insights into the nature of global wars.
Michael S. Neiberg, Professor of History, United States Army War College, USA

About the Author

Michael Jonas is Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer of Modern History at Helmut-Schmidt-University, Hamburg, Germany, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki, Finland.