"The Good War" : Preparations for a War against Civilians

Journal article


Alexander, Amanda. (2019). "The Good War" : Preparations for a War against Civilians. Law, Culture and the Humanities. 15(1), pp. 227-252. https://doi.org/10.1177/1743872116651224
AuthorsAlexander, Amanda
Abstract

This article argues that the narratives told about the Great War helped to establish the bombardment of civilians during World War II as an ethical, military and legal possibility. It shows that the literary representation of the Great War was antagonistic towards civilians, suggesting that a fairer war would affect the entire nation. Military strategists accepted this premise and planned for a future war that would be directed against civilian populations. International lawyers also adopted this narrative and, constrained by it and their disciplinary conventions, found it hard to posit any strong legal or ethical objections to aerial bombardment.

Keywordsinternational law; international humanitarian law; legal history; aerial warfare; memory and law; law and literature
Year2019
JournalLaw, Culture and the Humanities
Journal citation15 (1), pp. 227-252
PublisherSAGE Publications
ISSN1743-9752
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1743872116651224
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85060760985
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range227-252
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online31 May 2016
Publication process dates
Deposited13 Jan 2022
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