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.

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all managed to stay out of World War I, but all three countries were deeply affected by it. Opening with a systematically comparative introduction to the history of the Scandinavian countries during that time period, this account then presents 13 case studies examining the impact of the war on these neutral entities. From inflation and the shortage of consumer goods to widespread poverty and political unrest - not to mention the thousands of Scandinavian soldiers who participated in the war - this unique compilation 'analyzes the military and economic consequences as well as the vital political and social issues raised by the conflict.'

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 inter-war 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.

Situated on Europe’s northern periphery, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden found themselves caught between warring powers during World War II. Ultimately, these nations survived the conflict as sovereign states whose wartime experiences have profoundly shaped their historiography, literature, cinema and memory cultures. Nordic War Stories explores the commonalities and divergences among the five Nordic countries, examining national historiographies alongside representations of the war years in canonical literary works, travel writing, and film media. Together, they comprise a valuable companion that challenges the myth of Scandinavian homogeneity while demonstrating the powerful influence that the war continues to exert on national identities.

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all managed to stay out of World War I, but all three countries were deeply affected by it. Opening with a systematically comparative introduction to the history of the Scandinavian countries during that time period, this account then presents 13 case studies examining the impact of the war on these neutral entities. From inflation and the shortage of consumer goods to widespread poverty and political unrest - not to mention the thousands of Scandinavian soldiers who participated in the war - this unique compilation 'analyzes the military and economic consequences as well as the vital political and social issues raised by the conflict.'

NAMED THE #1 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, A WITTY, INFORMATIVE, AND POPULAR TRAVELOGUE ABOUT THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES AND HOW THEY MAY NOT BE AS HAPPY OR AS PERFECT AS WE ASSUME Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years, and he has grown increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success, and, most intriguing of all, what they think of one another. Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People Michael Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades. They may very well be almost nearly perfect, but it isn't easy being Scandinavian.

How have the dramatic events of the Second World War been viewed in the Nordic countries? In this book leading Nordic historians analyse post-war memory and historiography. They explore the relationship between scholarly and public understandings of the war. How have national interpretations been shaped by official security-policy doctrines? And in what way has the end of the Cold War affected the Nordic narratives? The authors not only present the overarching themes that set the Nordic experience of the Second World War apart from other European narratives, but also describe the distinctive post-war characteristics of Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Key concepts such as national identity, memory culture, and the moral turn are placed in their Nordic context. Bringing new nuance to the post-war history of Europe, this is the first work to focus on Nordic narratives of the war, and is valuable reading for students, academics, and all who have an interest in the historiography of the Second World War or modern European history.