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Full Description
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have highlighted again the precarious situation aid agencies find themselves in, caught as they are between the firing lines of the hostile parties, as they are trying to alleviate the plight of the civilian populations. This book offers an illuminating case study from a previous conflict, the Italo-Ethiopian war of 1935-36, and of the humanitarian operation of the Red Cross during this period. Based on fresh material from Red Cross and Italian military archives, the author examines highly controversial subjects such as the Italian bombings of Red Cross field hospitals, the treatment of Prisoners of War by the two belligerents; and the effects of Fascist Italy's massive use of poison gas against the Ethiopians. He shows how Mussolini and his ruthless regime, throughout the seven-month war, manipulated the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - the lead organization of the Red Cross in times of war, helped by the surprising political naïveté of its board. During this war the ICRC redefined its role in a debate, which is fascinating not least because of its relevance to current events, about the nature of humanitarian action. The organization decided to concern itself exclusively with matters falling under the Geneva Conventions and to give priority to bringing relief over expressing protest. It was a decision that should have far-reaching consequences, particularly for the period of World War II and the fate of Jews in Nazi concentration camps.
Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Foreword
Preface
Map
Introduction
Objectives and Methodology
Historiography on the Subject
Sources
Transliteration
Chapter 1. Switzerland, the ICRC and the Red Cross Movement at the Time of the Italo-Ethiopian War
Switzerland and the War in East-Africa
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Activities, Composition and Organisation
Un posto al sole for the Italian Red Cross
Rise and Fall of the Ethiopian Red Cross
Ambiguous Relations with the League of Red Cross Societies
Chapter 2. An African Solferino: the Emergency Medical Relief Operation in Ethiopia
Health in Ethiopia at the Outbreak of the War
Medical Services in the Ethiopian Army
Ethiopian Efforts to Provide Medical Assistance
The ICRC and the Emergency Medical Relief Operation
Red Cross Field Hospitals in Ethiopia
A Meeting Near Korem, or the Disparity between Needs and Relief
Chapter 3. Red Cross Work Challenged: the Respect of the Emblem
Ethiopia's Respect of the Emblem: a Barrage of Accusations, but Little Substance
The Respect of the Emblem by Italy: Red Cross Hospitals under Fire
Behind the Smokescreen: a Surprising Discovery
Chapter 4. The Heart of the Matter: Ensuring the Protection of the Emblem
Consequences of the Bombings for the Red Cross Units in the Field
Prevention is Better than Cure: Notification to Italy of Medical Installations under Red Cross Protection
Transmission of Complaints Regarding Violations of the Geneva Convention
First Steps in Humanitarian Diplomacy
Ensuring the Application of the Geneva Convention through an Inquiry
Protecting the Interests of War Victims through Humanitarian Diplomacy - a Trip to Rome (24 March-1 April 1936)
'Quella Benedetta Neutralità ...' The White Book on the War - between a Cover-up and a Contribution to Peace
Revising the 1929 Convention to Reflect the Experiences of the War
Sidney Brown, another Casualty of the War
Humanitarian Action and Justice
Chapter 5. Prisoners of War: Propaganda Prevails over Reality
Charges and Legal Questions
Prisoners on the Italian Side
Prisoners of War on the Ethiopian Side
The ICRC and the Protection of Prisoners of War
Wrong Assumptions Lead to Wrong Conclusions
Chapter 6. 'Rain that Kills': the ICRC and Fascist Italy's Chemical Warfare
Chemical Warfare between the First World War and the Italo-Ethiopian War
Poison Gas in the Italo-Ethiopian War
The ICRC and Chemical Warfare until 1935
First Reports on the Use of Poison Gas: Discovering the Truth
Experience in the Field with Poison Gas
Silence on Chemical Warfare during the Mission to Rome
The Defeat of the League of Nations on the Question of Poison Gas
The League of Nations and the ICRC: Collective Security and Humanitarian Concerns
The ICRC Response: a Request for Gas Masks
Between the Spirit of 1918 and the Letter of the Law of 1929
An Intervention to the Italian Red Cross: Too Little, Too Late
The Red Cross Movement Bows to the Inevitable
Summary and Conclusion
The Belligerents and International Humanitarian Law
Humanitarian Action in Transition
The ICRC and Its Humanitarian Action
The ICRC and Fascist Italy 'We didn't know the truth'?
Appendices
Appendix 1. Chronology of Political and Military Events
Appendix 2. Glossary
Appendix 3. Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in October 1935
Appendix 4. Red Cross Field Hospitals on the Ethiopian Side during the Italo-Ethiopian War
a. Field Hospitals under the Ethiopian Red Cross
b. Foreign National Red Cross Field Hospitals
Appendix 5. Bombings of Red Cross Field Hospitals and the Transport Unit during the Italo-Ethiopian War
Bibliography
Index
