Endorsements

The refugee crisis unleashed in Europe by the First World War was unprecedented in scale, directly affecting at least fourteen million people. This book represents the first attempt to understand the experiences of these people and to establish the political, social and cultural significance of the crisis and its legacy. Part of the explanation for the scale and severity of the refugee crisis was that non-combatants caught up in the conflict sought to escape to a place of relative safety. However, mass civilian displacement was also a deliberate outcome of wartime mobilisation. The unexpected presence of millions of refugees posed challenging questions about the forms and extent of assistance. How far did governments assume responsibility for emergency relief? What impact did the presence of large numbers of refugees have on host communities? In what ways did refugees respond to their predicament? As Europe once again struggles to come to terms with its responsibilities towards people displaced by war, these questions remain highly pertinent. Written in an accessible style by experts in the field, Europe on the move will appeal to anyone interested in the First World War period and the contours of Europe's first major refugee crisis.