https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3 How nations' views on both the reality and necessity of international law in the modern era changed to create and enforce it en-us 2017-07-26 09:54:29 UTC 2025-11-18 04:19:18 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Balance.png borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179489150 The first international treaty limiting the use of certain weaponry (perhaps motivated by the greater extent of media coverage in conflicts such as the Crimean War). It also established the idea of thinking of weaponry in terms of the suffering it caused outside of incapacitation.
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ihl/INTRO/130?OpenDocument
It was successful in preventing national armies from using exploding rifle bullets from that point onwards.]]> 2017-07-26 10:21:45 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179489150 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179489556 The first Geneva Convention established international law for humanitarian treatment; creating a neutral medical force to assist soldiers. This was expanded to be more detailed in the Second Geneva Convention in 1906.
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ihl/INTRO/120?OpenDocument
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ihl/INTRO/180?OpenDocument
The success of this can be seen in the many reports of soldiers and civilians respecting the neutrality of the Red Cross.]]> 2017-07-26 10:31:53 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179489556 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179489943 Written by Hugo Grotius, this treatise is often considered to be one of the founding documents of the theory of international law; detailing the importance of jurisprudence between nations to prevent bloody wars.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugo-Grotius#ref43942
"...that there is a common law among nations, which is valid alike for war and in war..."]]> 2017-07-26 10:40:31 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179489943 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179490295 With populations exhausted by years of total war, the idea of a body to ensure international peace came to the forefront and the League of Nations was born. Though it was successful in many ways, the failures of the league from 1936-39 were dire.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/League-of-Nations]]> 2017-07-26 10:49:40 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179490295 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179491186 This is traditionally seen as the treaty that established the principles of Westphalian Sovereignty and non-interventionism that have been vital to the evolution of international law. This view is not without its critics though, as the article explains:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Peace_of_Westphalia]]> 2017-07-26 11:11:02 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179491186 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179491351 The primary objective of these meetings were the limitation of armaments, but though they failed this they did establish further restrictions on certain weapons (such as balloons which discharge projectiles).
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hague-Conventions
These were largely a failure, being so vaguely worded as to be strife with loopholes and having no real way of enforcement.]]> 2017-07-26 11:17:42 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179491351 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179491761 Though considered a legal farce by other nations, this was the first time a court had to deal with the international definition of war crimes
http://ww1.habsburger.net/en/chapters/leipzig-trials-1921-1927-between-national-disgrace-and-juridical-farce]]> 2017-07-26 11:31:07 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179491761 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179494340 Created to bring Nazi war criminals to justice, the trials (though sometimes criticised for their bias) were important in that they enforced the idea of international law in a clear, precedent establishing manner
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nuremberg-trials
I've written about the most famous trial, the Major War Criminals trial, here:
https://beneficiariusconscientium.blogspot.com/2017/07/nuremberg-establishing-evil.html]]> 2017-07-26 12:42:14 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179494340 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179494362 Created as a replacement to the League of Nations that was founded by it's 51 original members in order to prevent another conflict like WW2. It also now works to protect human rights and the environment, encourage social/economic development, and provide humanitarian aid.
http://www.un.org/en/sections/history/history-united-nations/index.html
It's success can be seen in it's growth to the current 193 members, though some accuse it of being corrupt, biased, or ineffective.]]> 2017-07-26 12:42:34 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179494362 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179494374 The 1929 Convention drew up principles for the ethical treatment of prisoners of war, and the 1949 Convention expanded this to include civilians following the atrocious treatment of civilians in WW2
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=AE2D398352C5B028C12563CD002D6B5C&action=openDocument]]> 2017-07-26 12:42:52 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179494374 borisjohnsonlover69 https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179508569 Adopted by the United Nations in the wake of WW2, this created a legitimate document upon which the UN can act to enforce an international law based on individual freedoms
http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/]]> 2017-07-26 16:13:13 UTC https://padlet.com/borisjohnsonlover69/vkgs3ryjnuj3/wish/179508569