What are the Geneva Conventions?
The Geneva Conventions are comprised of four separate conventions that govern the conduct of military forces during armed conflict. The current form of these important international laws emerged in the aftermath of World War II, but they are an extension of the laws governing warfare that emerged throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. These four separate conventions contain laws that govern: 1) care of sick and wounded members of the armed forces on the battlefield; 2) care of sick and wounded members of the armed forces at sea; 3) the treatment of prisoners of war; and 4) the protection of civilian persons in wartime. The Geneva Conventions are one group of international laws that set limits on the military tactics that a country may employ during armed conflict and set minimum standards for the protection of those that fall into the enemy’s hands either as wounded soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians living under the control of an occupying force. The Third G
Whoever it was that said “All’s fair in love and war” only got it half right. In the case of war, actually, many things are not fair. The rules of engagement during armed conflicts are strictly guided by a series of documents called the Geneva Conventions, which cover everything from the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians to the protection of important cultural sites and the environment. The first of the five Geneva Conventions — named for the Swiss city in which they were signed — were established in 1864 by delegates from Europe, the United States, Asia and South America. The treaty was inspired by International Red Cross founder Henri Dunant’s pamphlet “A Memory of Solferino,” which described his shock at the lack of care given to wounded soldiers at the battle of Solferino, Italy, in 1859. Though 16 governments signed the conventions in 1864, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden and the United States did not; the U.S. Congress finally ratified the conventions in 1882, making it
The Geneva Conventions are a series of international treaties intended to limit the violence of war and protect civilians, prisoners and wounded soldiers in time of war and civil conflict. For example, wounded soldiers must be cared for regardless of which side they were fighting for. Prisoners of war may not be killed or mistreated. Detainees may not be tortured to extract information from them. Attacks must focus on military targets only. The first Geneva Convention treaty was signed in 1864, and the treaty has been renegotiated and expanded several times since then, most recently in 1949 and 1977. The United States is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, and therefore they have the force of law for U.S. citizens. (for more information, please see the Summary at the bottom of this page, the References Page or click here for an excellent summary from the Pleace Pledge Union ) How did the Geneva Conventions get started? In June of 1859, Jean Henri Dunant, a devout Swiss businessman,
