Neither Friend Nor Foe: The European Neutrals in World War II

by Jerrold M. Packard

Book Overview

Examines the strategy of Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland during World War II and the Allies' charge that the desire of the neutral powers for self-protection led... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684192489
• ISBN13: 9780684192482
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: First Glance Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Hoping The Crocodile Will Not Eat Them

Winston Churchill lamented of the European neutrals that "each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last." As Packard's splendid narrative of these five nations shows (the countries are Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Spain and Portugal), each of the neutrals had, from their perspective, perfectly valid reasons for staying out of the war. Switzerland faced a choice of incorporation into Greater Germany or dogged neutrality; Ireland imagined itself in the reverse predicament, fearing a British takeover; Sweden was surrounded by German-occupied or Axis powers; Spain having only just survived its Civil War, was completely unready for another conflict; Portugal sympathized with Britain but, not unreasonably, feared German invasion via Vichy France. Packard pays tribute to the military planners who shepherded their countries through the war but didn't have to fire a shot; he shows the various means in which each neutral managed to "tilt" towards one side or another, and demonstrates the huge economic significance of most of the neutrals - Sweden's iron ore being an obvious example. Extremely well written, constructed in a logical chronology with diligent attention paid to the contemporaneous events of the war itself. Also very attentive to the personalities of the conflict - Francisco Franco's various dealings with Hitler are very interesting indeed. Franco can righly claim that he bargained for much better treatment from Germany than did Mussolini.

Excelent Referrence - Mediocre Read

This book is painfully thorough in covering the subject of national neutrality during World War II of Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. Jerrold Packard shares telegrams, letters, etc. with you showing why these countries were able to maintain their national neutrality. The author also reveals the very unneutral things done by these counties in order to continue to exist. This book is almost boring in the detail that the writer is willing to share with you. I would not dare recommend that you repeat my mistake - reading it straight through - but I would recommend this book highly for research purposes.

History by the Road Less Traveled

For anyone who likes to view World War II history from the "road less traveled", "Neither Friend Nor Foe" is a excellent selection. From a distance we see the big picture of an historical event, without noticing the distortions apparent on closer inspection. In World War II, the big picture is that all of Europe ganged up on the evil Fascists in Germany and Italy, except for a few sacrosanct neutrals, such as Switzerland and Sweden. As "Neither Friend Nor Foe" points out, this is not the whole truth.At the start of World War II there were four belligerent states: Germany, Poland, France and the United Kingdom. Every other European state declared its neutrality. Only five would maintain that neutrality throughout the war: Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. This book is the story of how each of them avoided the ravages of war by a careful and varying balancing of relations with the powers warring around them.I suspect that most people view the neutrality of Switzerland as an accepted fact of European politics. In this book, Jerrold Packard shows how it was jeopardized in World War II. In cooperation with the Nazi program to unite all German people under one Reich, Pro-Nazi political parties in Switzerland supported the incorporation of at least the German speaking cantons of Switzerland into that Reich. The Swiss tradition of hospitality toward the refuges from its neighbors s an irritant to Germany. What ultimately saved Swiss neutrality was the fact that it was of more value to Germany as an independent nation than it would have been as a conquered one. The Swiss had a plan to destroy its industrial facilities and defend its "Fortress Switzerland" would have rendered useless an essential source of supply to the Germany. Switzerland survived the war as a neutral site for clandestine meetings between belligerents as well as an industrial supplier to the German war machine, at prices dictated by the purchaser. As the tide of war flowed in the Allies' favor, the Swiss willingness to supply Germany diminished proportionately.The Swedish situation was similar to that of Switzerland, in that its willingness to supply the German war machine with the output of its industry provided it with a degree of security. One concession to German arms was as its permission for German forces to cross its territory to attack Norway As with Switzerland, Sweden shifted its allegiance as the fortunes of battle changed.Portugal had been a long time ally of Britain. It was caught between the traditional British Alliance and a newfound Iberian identity. The threat of British invasion of the Portuguese colonies and Iberia itself versus the danger of substituting German vassalage for a British one was a strong inducement for Portugal to keep Iberia neutral. Spain is, in some ways the most interesting of the neutrals. Exhausted from its Civil War in which Germany and Italy had provided assistance to the Fascists, Franco nevertheless resisted s

Excellent summary of how to stay out of war

Jerrold Packard tackles the uneviable task of having to sort out how five very different countries managed to stay neutral during World War II. Packard gives a country by country view in a concise chronology. Packard is not an appologist for any of these countries and in light of the controversy regarding Switzerland's role during the war it's very timely. Packard provides great insight into how precarious the situation was for all five countries in light of the presure from not only the Axis powers but the Allies. Packard touches on some of the complicity between Sweden, Switzerland and Spain with regard to the Germans but fails to delve in too deeply. It's a shame this was written before the Swiss controversy became more public, but in fairness that's a book in itself. The thumbnail sketches of the principals shows they were truly equals of Machiavelli and learned how to survive in precarious times.