Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
Children and other civilians have alwaysbeen affected by war. In ancient times armies often lived off the land. They would often pilage farms and towns to obtain provisions. Cities that were conquered would be looted and in many cases the men, women, and children sold into slavery. This is what happened to Carthage and may other city of the ancient world. European knights in the middle ages adopted a code of chilvary. This was rarely extended to the peasantry. In our moder age a code of behavior was adopted for conducting war, but was not often followed. The French Revolution changed European wars. Rather professional armies fighting wars, the French mobilized large citizen armies. Children were often drawn up in these armies. This concept resulted in larger and larger armies, eventually culminating in the two world wars. The Europeans adopted a code that civilians should be respected and protected by combatants. It became obvious in World War I, however, that civilians on the home front played a major role in the outcome of a war. Children were graetly affected, especially those living in or near the far-flung battlefields. The number of casualties also mean that millions of children grew up without fathers and or in poverty. It was this perhaps inevitable that civilians would be directly targeted in the next War. World War II indeed brought more horrors to children than any other modern war. Children were affected not only by the staggerings dimensions of the War, but by the tactics and strategies adopted by the combatatants. The Germans and Japanese used terror bombing of civilian populations as an offensive tactic in the early phases of the War. The Americans and British eventually adopted the same tactic as part of their strategic doctrine. Children as part of the civilain population were this affected. The Germans did even more than bomb civilains. First they targeted handicaped children for sterilization or death. Once the War began they targeted non Aryan populations for death or slavery in a new Europe. Children here were a special target as they had no value as workers and thus Jewish children were among the first to be killed. Some wre even used in diobolical medical experiments. Thousands of other non-Jewish children were kidnapped and assessed racially by SS and other doctors. Most that failed the racial testing or were uncooperative eventually died in concentration camps. Those that passed were brought to the Reich for Germiniztion by SS and other approved families.
HBC has received a varierty of comments from readers on our war and crises pahes as well as other sections of HBC that deal with the imapct of war on children. These comments cover a wide range of view points. We thought it best to create a new page providing a focal point for these discussions. Here we have just begun to develop our assessment, so feel free to submit your ideas and insights. Some of the issues raised here are very difficult ones raising moral conumdrums. There are no patently right and wrong answers to these issues, but the issues raised require careful consideration and discussion.
Children and other civilians have always been affected by war. In ancient times armies often lived off the land. They would often pilage farms and towns to obtain provisions. Cities that were conquered would be looted and in many cases the men, women, and children sold into slavery. HBC has not persued ancient history to any extent and thus we have little information here to offer at this time. Death or slavery, however, was the fate of many ancient civilizations. This is vidly described in many Old Testament Biblical accounts. "Then Joshua passed from Makkedah and all Isreal with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Linnah, an enamped against it, nd fought against it: And the Lord delivered Lachishinto the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and which smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all he had done in Libnah. [Joshua, 10: 31-32] Roman conquerors were more likely to enslave cities that dare to resist. This is what happened to Carthage and may other city of the ancient world. The conquest of the Messenian by Sparta who forced them into bondage as Helot laborers for centuries is another example.
European knights in the middle ages adopted a code of chivalry. This was rarely extended to the peasantry. In our moder age a code of behavior was adopted for conducting war, but was not often followed.
The French Revolution changed European wars. Rather professional armies fighting wars, the French mobilized large citizen armies. Citizen armies were a factor in stiring the passions of natioanlism. It should nit be forgotten in was the entry of the French Army in Spain that caused the firs guerilla war, the word itself based on the Spanish word for war-"guerra". It was thuis the French citizen army that fought the most vicious vampaign in the entire Napoleonic era--the Peninsula Campaign in Spain inflicting great cruelty ob civilians--including women and children. The concept of citizen armies also resulted in larger and larger armies after the Napoleonic Era--especially after the Franco-Prussian War. This eventually culminating in the two great world wars of the 20th century.
Children were often drawn up in these armies. This is a problem even today, but children in the 18th and 19th centuries were often an important part of major armies. One example here is the American Civil War, called by one histoprian--"The Boys' War". this was not exceptional, we just know more about the Civil War than other 18th and 19th century wars. Major combatants beginning in the late 19th century became more strict about enforcing age limitations. An exception here was NAZI Germany in the later stages of World War II. The Hitler Youth was an important part of the Volksstrum--NAZI Hone Guard. The problem continues today in the developing world.
The Europeans adopted a code that civilians should be respected and protected by combatants. Major European countries concluded an agreement at two international conferences held in Geneva, Switzerland in 1864 and 68. The International Red Cross grew out of the first Geneva conference. The primary initial purpose was to improve care for sick and wounded soldiers in war time. A subsequent 1905 conference also held in Geneva revised the initial agreements and adopted an agreement now known as the Geneva Convention. The convention cotained detailed provisions concerning the care of prisinors of war, including the sick and wounded. There were also important provisions on the treatment of civilain populations. The Geneva Agreement was signed by all Eiropean countries, the United States as well as several Latin american and Asian countries. The Imperial Japanese Government did not sign the agreement.
It became obvious in World War I, however, that civilians on the home front played a major role in the outcome of a war. Children were graetly affected, especially those living in or near the far-flung battlefields. The number of casualties also mean that millions of children grew up without fathers and or in poverty. The cause of Belgian war orphans became a major concern in America and had a significant impact on how Ameicans viewed the Germans before America actually entered the War. American food aid to Belgium during the War prevented mass starvation in that beleagered country. The War lasted 4 long years. In the end it became a War of endurence pitting two economies against each other. Giving the importance of civilians and the home front in World War I, it was this perhaps inevitable that civilians and the home front would be directly targeted in the next War.
World War II indeed brought more horrors to children than any other modern war. The horrors inflicted on children virtually defy description. Children were affected not only by the staggerings dimensions of the War, but by the tactics and strategies adopted by the combatatants. The Germans and Japanese used terror bombing of civilian populations as an offensive tactic in the early phases of the War. The Americans and British eventually adopted the same tactic as part of their strategic doctrine. Children as part of the civilain population were this affected. The Germans did even more than bomb civilains. First they targeted handicaped children for sterilization or death. Once the War began they targeted non Aryan populations for death or slavery in a new Europe. Children here were a special target as they had no value as workers and thus Jewish children were among the first to be killed. Some wre even used in diobolical medical experiments. Thousands of other non-Jewish children were kidnapped and assessed racially by SS and other doctors. Most that failed the racial testing or were uncooperative eventually died in concentration camps. Those that passed were brought to the Reich for Germiniztion by SS and other approved families.
A French reader is concerned about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children who have died as a result of the United Nations (U.N.) embargo on food and medicine. Here HBC does not disagree that Iraqi children have suffered and that some have some have died. We disagree that the embargo is the cause. WE believe that the cause of these deaths is Sadam Husein and his evil regime. Food and medicine are not now embargoed by the U.N. In fact, the oil sales now allowed Iraq are adequate to import the food and medicine needed by the Iraqi people. The problem thatcivilians continue to experience is that the Iraqi Government continues to divert funds for massive military expenditures. The Iraqi Government finds the sufferings of the civilian population, in fact, a convenient tool to use in propaganda aimed at Arab and other international populations. While concerned about Iraqi children, HBC has in our mind the horendous scenes of Kurdish civilians, including mothers holding their children, after Iraqi poison gas attacks. We also remember the huge number of Iraqui and Iranian youths that died when Sadam invaded Iran as well as the suffering in Kuwait. Sadam has already shown that he is willing to use gas chemical weapons. There is every reason to believe that he also has biological weapons and is willing to use them. We wonder what is in store for the Iraq's neighbnors when Iraq acquires nuclear weapons.
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