Conspiring with the Enemy: The Ethic of Cooperation in Warfare

Despite the strong influence of just war theory in military law and practice, warfare is commonly considered devoid of morality. Yet even in the most horrific of human activities, there is frequent communication and cooperation between enemies. One remarkable example is the Christmas truce—unofficial ceasefires between German and English trenches in December 1914 in which soldiers even mingled in No Man’s Land.

In Conspiring with the Enemy, Yvonne Chiu offers a new understanding of why and h...