
Caught in the Middle
Neutrals, Neutrality and the First World War
Aksant Academic Publishers
Published on 4. March 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
184 pages
978-90-5260-370-4 (ISBN)
Description
During the First World War, belligerents infringed on the rights and duties of neutrals, as these had been codified in international agreements. Both the Allies and the Central Powers pressured the neutrals to modify their policies to favour them over their adversaries. During the four-and-a-half years the war lasted, this pressure mounted until the neutrals were left with very little room to manoeuvre.More than fifty years ago, Nils Orvik stated that this disregard for international law, combined with the relative weakness of the European neutrals, spelled the end of traditional political neutrality. Caught in the Middle discusses this thesis based on new research from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA. The result is the first comparative study in English on First World War neutrality.The contributors cover not only several countries involved, but also multiple aspects of the concept of neutrality: political, economic, cultural and legal. They reassess the notion of neutrality and the role of neutrals during the First World War, making this collection of great value to all scholars of both neutrality, the history of individual neutral countries, and of the war itself.
Reviews / Votes
"Caught in the Middle is een goed onderzocht en geschreven werk dat ondanks zijn ietwat overweldigende onderwerpen een aanrader is voor zowel de beginnende als gevorderde historicus. De bundel laat zien hoe je op een duidelijke manier een moeilijk betoog kunt houden, waardoor dit boek toegankelijker is dan het lijkt en een prima voorbeeld is voor historici die voor het eerst gaan beginnen aan Engelstalig onderzoek. Daarnaast geeft het een interessante inkijk in wat er allemaal wel niet bij komt kijken om maar onpartijdig te zijn in oorlogstijd." - Raynor de Best in Acta Historica (30-08-2012)More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Publishing group
Amsterdam University Press
Target group
Academic
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
Illustrated
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 168 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-5260-370-4 (9789052603704)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Johan den Hertog | Samuel Kruizinga
Caught in the Middle
Neutrals, Neutrality and the First World War
E-Book
10/2025
Routledge
€51.49
Available for download

Johan den Hertog | Samuel Kruizinga
Caught in the Middle
Neutrals, Neutrality and the First World War
E-Book
10/2025
Routledge
€51.49
Available for download
Persons
Johan den Hertog is a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University. Samuel Kruizinga is a doctoral student at the University of Amsterdam and a research fellow at the National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam.
Content
Acknowledgements, 1. Introduction, 2. Dutch Neutrality and the Value of Legal Argumentation, 3. 'Upon the Neutral Rests the Trusteeship of International Law', 4. Spanish Neutrality During the First World War, 5. Britain's Global War and Argentine Neutrality, 6. Not Neutrality, 7. From Parasite to Angel, 8. Colour-blind or Clear-sighted Neutrality?, 9. The Hottest Places in Hell?, 10. The Other End of Neutrality, About the Contributors