Barmhartig zijn: wat is dat moeilijk. Het Nederlandsche Roode Kruis in de Tweede Wereldoorlog

Abstract

The Dutch Red Cross in World War II After World War II the Dutch Red Cross (DRC) got the reproof that it had not done enough, especially for the political and Jewish prisoners abroad. It had shown "a lack of courage and phantasy". The DRC defended itself by saying that it was severely hindered by the German authorities and by stating that most members of its committee did not have enough backbone to take the right measures. Shortly: there was no connection between the failure of the DRC and the Red Cross philosophy or spirit: a philosophy of political neutrality and a spirit of obedience to political and military authorities. But, the Germany friendly articles in the DRC magazine: the help the DRC gave with evacuations in favour of the German military necessity; the equipment of an ambulance for the 'Eastfront volunteers", and the service it lended to fulfil the "anti Jewish bloodtransfusion measure', show in my opinion that there is a connection. Therefore it can't be said that, as a member of the board stated after the war, the DRC made mistakes, because people always make mistakes. The DRC did not make mistakes: it failed.