Calculating compassion: Humanity and relief in war, Britain 1870–1914

Abstract

Calculating Compassion examines the origins of British relief work in late-nineteenth-century wars on the Continent and the fringes of Empire. Commencing with the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, it follows distinguished surgeons and ‘lady amateurs’ as they distributed aid to wounded soldiers and distressed civilians, often in the face of considerable suspicion. Dispensing with the notion of shared ‘humanitarian’ ideals, it examines the complex, and sometimes controversial, origins of organized relief, and illuminates the emergence of practices and protocols still recognizable in the delivery of overseas aid. This book is intended for students, academics and relief practitioners interested in the historical concerns of first generation relief agencies such as the British Red Cross Society and the Save the Children Fund, and their legacies today.

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