The aim of this book is to show the extent of civilian involvement in the war. The vantage point I have chosen – a belligerent in the conflict, whether friend or enemy, suddenly arriving among civilians – sheds light on the autonomy of civilians and the ways they took up the fight. In these situations, they appear as direct actors in the war rather than mere subjects of a “Home Front” under strain and beset by mourning, shortages, gender relations and class conflict. This book restores to civilians their concern for a certain common good writ large – that is, for their (imagined) overall community. It seeks to re-politicize war as an interaction between the individual and his or her ideal overarching community, whether national or even international.