Publisher's Synopsis
This unique collection explores not only the formal constraints on the conduct of war throughout Western history but also the unwritten conventions about what is permissible in the course of military operations. This book is not just another collection of documents. By comparing all publications on this subject from the 19th century up to now and adding hard to find documents, the editors have made a unique collection of documents and background information. Some special documents, seldom published together, are reproduced. Ranging from classical antiquity to the present, we have discussed the legal and cultural regulation of violence in such areas as belligerent rights, the treatment of prisoners and civilians, the observing of truces and immunities, the use of particular weapons, siege warfare, codes of honor, and war crimes. The combination of the various documents and its introduction makes this book a perfect reference tool for statesmen and diplomats, members of armed forces and humanitarian organizations, lawyers, journalists, and students of international law and international relations.
