Defending Neutrality ─ The Netherlands Prepares for War, 1900-1925

Building upon the burgeoning literature examining the militaries of small and neutral states, Klinkert (military history, Netherlands Defense Academy and U. of Amsterdam) presents this case study on the Netherlands in the late 19th and early 20th century. The study aims to demonstrate that one must understand internal developments within the country in order to understand the way in which it conducted itself in the realm of military and foreign affairs as well as the ways in which it incorporates major international developments into its own historical development in order to achieve a full understanding. Applying this perspective to the Netherlands' experience of neutrality in World War I, he addresses the pre-war military culture of the Netherlands, the ways in which the Netherlands sought to defend neutrality by feverishly copying military developments in the larger states, the consequent establishment of a military-industrial-scientific network, the Netherlands' efforts to expand its intelligence on the activities and intentions of other states, and the legacy of the "total" war preparations in the aftermath of World War I. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Wim Klinkert, Ph.D. (1992) in History, University of Leiden, is Associate Professor of Military History at the Netherlands Defence Academy and is professor of Military History at the University of Amsterdam. His publications focus on Dutch military history between 1870 and 1945 and include (co-edited with Herman Amersfoort) Small Powers in the Age of Total War, 1900-1940 (Brill, 2011).