The Politics of Retribution in Europe
This outstanding collection of essays examines the questions of collaboration and retributive jurisprudence in the aftermath of World War II. For civilians, collaboration emerges as "a vastly more complex set of behavioral options" than many might imagine or care to remember. The hazy distinction between "social" and "political" involvement was encumbered by the differences between the first phase of German occupation and what it became over the course of the war. Yet the essays offer little apology. For example, Jan Gross exposes the extent of anti-Semitism in both Polish society and the Resistance. Chapters on Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Greece depict the challenge of justice without a developed judicial system. A concluding chapter considers the "myth" of largescale resistance and the "collective amnesia" that supported it. Although not all countries are included, the book addresses a critical gap in historiography and one that continues especially to agitate post-Communist intellectual life in Central and East Europe. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.DZachary T. Irwin, Penn State ErieCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.