ABSTRACT
The 1939–1945 period of World War II provides a fascinatingly rich time slot within which to examine cases of treason and other forms of betrayal. World War II is particularly interesting, especially the European theater, because at least four different symbolic moral universes clashed there. World War II raised the issues of loyalty, trust, and deceit, to a magnitude and intensity not frequently found in other historical periods. The chapter examines the issue of betrayal in different countries, but it must be remembered that personal betrayal was also an issue, for example, the betrayal of Jews hiding from the Nazis. The issues of moral boundaries and the betrayal of loyalty, trust, and deception are all very neatly focused in fifth columnism. In many aspects, a fifth column is perhaps the ultimate example of treason. The chapter focuses on one of the types—collaboration within the context of a national conflict, which is an integral part of treason.
