Jewish Child Soldiers in the Bloodlands of Europe

This book is about the experiences of Jewish children who were members of armed partisan groups in Eastern Europe during World War II and the Holocaust. It describes and analyze the role of children as activists, agents, and decision makers in a situation of extraordinary danger and stress. The children in this book were hunted like prey and ran for their lives. They survived by fleeing into the forest and swamps of Eastern Europe and joining anti-German partisan groups. The vast majority of these children were teenagers between ages 11 and 18, although some were younger. They were, by any definition, child soldiers, and that is the reason they lived to tell their tales. The book will be of interest to general and academic audiences. There is also great interest in children and childhood across disciplines of history and the social sciences. It is likely to spark considerable debate and interest, since its argument runs counter to the generally accepted wisdom that child soldiers must first and foremost be seen as victims of their recruiters. The argument of this book is that time, place, and context play a key role in our understanding of children's involvement in war and that in some contexts children under arms must be seen as exercising an inherent right of self-defense.

List of contents

1. I Flew Like An Arrow, 2. Strangers in the Forest, 3. From This Moment You Are My Son, 4. The Night Was Our Mother, 5. I Loved the Dynamite, 6. I Was Alone, 7. Bread Breaks Iron

About the author

David M. Rosen is Professor of Anthropology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His recent books include Child Soldiers in the Western Imagination: From Patriots Victims (2015) and Armies of the Young: Child Soldiers in War and Terrorism (2005). He has carried out research in Israel, Palestine, Sierra Leone and Kenya.

Summary

This book is about the experiences of Jewish children who were members of armed partisan groups in Eastern Europe during World War II and the Holocaust.

Product details

• Authors: David M. Rosen, David M. (Fairleigh Dickinson University Rosen, Rosen David M.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 25.09.2023
• EAN: 9781032044996
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3204499-6
• No. of pages: 126
• Series: Routledge Studies in Second World War History
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geography; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; HISTORY / Europe / Germany, European History, Germany, 20th Century, HISTORY / World, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / Jewish, General & world history, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Second World War, The Holocaust, Social and cultural history, General and world history, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Relating to Jewish people and groups, HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century / Holocaust, History / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / European Theater