Confronting the Hell of the Trenches - The ICRC and the First World War

In terms of the number of nations involved, the duration of the conflict and the resources deployed, the First World War constituted a fundamental break with the past. It ushered in a century of violence, of which we continue to suffer the consequences today. Out of this horror, the Red Cross was to emerge transformed. In the first few months of the conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross set up a system of operations that remains the cornerstone of its action today: tracing missing persons, restoring contact between prisoners and their families, visiting prison camps, delivering aid and repatriating ex-detainees. No other conflict has transformed the organization so deeply. This book examines the main elements of that metamorphosis.