Harfleur to Hamburg

Britain has historically been seen as an upholder of international norms, at least in its relations with western powers. This has often been contrasted with the violence perpetrated in colonial contexts on other continents. What is often missed, however, is the extent to which the state with its capital in London—first England, then Great Britain—inflicted extreme violence on its European neighbours, even when still using the rhetoric of neighbourliness and friendship.This book comprises eleven case-studies of Anglo- British strategic violence, from the siege of Harfleur in 1415 to the fire-bombing of Hamburg in 1943. Chapters examine actions that were top-down and directed, and perpetrated for specific geopolitical reasons—many of them at, or well beyond, the bounds of what was sanctioned by prevailing international norms at the time. The contributors look at how these actions were conceived, executed and perceived by the English/British public, by the international legal community of the time, and by the victims.This history of English violence in Europe complicates not only easy notions of England/Britain as a champion of the ‘standards of civilisation’ or of the ‘liberal international order’, but also of the supposed distinction between ‘European’ and ‘extra-European’ warfare.

'If you think that Britain is a country that not only goes to war with reluctance but also then wages it with restraint, "Harfleur to Hamburg" will make you think again. Serious scholars show how the British have been ready to use extraordinary and sometimes unjustifiable levels of violence--not least against their fellow Britons.', 'Fascinating, well-researched pieces by long-standing experts in their fields.', 'This brilliant book is riveting history. Every chapter sheds new light on the motives, policies and consequences of Britain's warfare on the European continent. The inflection points selected for examination are themselves an interesting story: instances in which a country that advances international law and normative power acts utterly ruthlessly for strategic reasons, and the culture that drove those decisions.'

D. J. B. Trim is Professor of Church History at Andrews University in Michigan. His books include European Warfare, 1350–1750. Brendan Simms is Professor of the History of European International Relations and Director of the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge. His books include Britain’s Europe.