An evaluation of early codification attempts of the laws of war and the influence of civil war

• Author: Yrd.Doç.Dr. Joseph Zand
• Pages: 217-264

İnönü Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi Cilt: 4 Sayı:1 Yıl 2013 217

AN EVALUATION OF EARLY CODIFICATION ATTEMPTS OF

THE LAWS OF WAR AND THE INFLUENCE OF CIVIL WAR

Yrd.Doç.Dr. Joseph Zand*

Abstract:

The laws of war were the first part of international law to be

codified. Until the mid-nineteenth century the laws of war had existed in

different form as today namely; in custom, in broad principles, in military

manuals and the national laws as well as religious teachings. Although the

laws regulating the conduct of hostilities were recognised in many early

cultures, the theories of the laws of war are essentially considered

“Eurocentric.” As a result of the creation of modern European state

system in the seventeenth century the laws of war were the first branch of

international law to be developed in any depth. Multiplicity of factors led

to their re-statement and development in the second half of the nineteenth

century. However, this article argues that contrary to the popular belief the

development of this branch of international law was also influenced by

some major civil wars too. The topic of civil war will be dealt with in

chronological order with references made to some of the most important

conflicts such as the American Civil War which have contributed to

development of rules and regulations governing internal armed conflict

and as a consequence to the laws of war.

Keywords: Internatıonal Law, Codification of Laws of War, the

Influence of Civil War.

* Faculty of Law, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey; Joseph.zand@inonu.edu.tr.

Yrd.Doç.Dr.Joseph ZAND

218 İnönü Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi Cilt: 4 Sayı:1 Yıl 2013

SAVAŞ HUKUKU VE İÇ SAVAŞIN ETKİLERİNE YÖNELİK İLK

YASAL DÜZENLEME GİRİŞİMLERİNİN

DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Özet:

Savaş hukuku, uluslararası hukukun kodifiye edilen ilk kısmıdır.

Savaş hukuku Ondokuzuncu Yüzyılın ortalarına kadar varlığını

bugünkünden farklı olarak; gelenek, genel ilkeler, askeri kılavuzlar ve

ulusal kanunlar, hatta dini öğretiler olarak sürdürdü. Düşmanca hareketleri

düzenleyen hukuk kurallarının birçok erken kültürde varlığı bilinse de,

savaş hukuku teorilerinin “Avrupa Merkezci” olduğu kabul edilir. Modern

Avrupa devlet sisteminin oluşturulmasının bir sonucu olarak savaş

hukuku, uluslararası hukukun geliştirilen ilk dalıydı. Birçok faktör

Ondokuzuncu Yüzyılın ikinci yarısında yeni söylemlere ve gelişmelere

sebep oldu. Ancak bu makale, genel anlayışın aksine, uluslararası

hukukun bu dalının bazı büyük iç savaşlardan da etkilendiğini savunuyor.

Makalede iç savaş konusu, silahlı iç çatışmaya ilişkin kural ve

düzenlemeler ile savaş hukukunun oluşmasına katkısı bulunan Amerikan

iç savaşı referans alınarak kronolojik olarak tartışılacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Uluslararası Hukuk, Savaş Hukukunun

Yasalaştırılması, İç Savaşın Etkisi

Introduction

Emmerich de vattel the Swiss jurist in the eighteenth century wrote:

‘It is a question very much debated whether a sovereign is bound to

observe the common laws of war towards rebellious subjects who have

openly taken up arms against him? A flatterer, or a prince of a cruel and

arbitrary disposition, will immediately pronounce that the laws of war

were not made for rebels, for whom no punishment can be too severe’1.

The above quote encapsulates the traditional attitude by sovereigns

towards rebellious subjects and civil war2. In contrast to regulations

1 Emmerich De Vattel, ‘Law of Nations: Principle of Law o f Nature Applied to the

Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns’, J. Chitty & E.D. Ingraham, Published

by T. & J.W. Johnson, 1867 original from Harvard University Digitized, Aug 24,

2007, Book III, pp. 421-428.

2 Oeter, S., “Civil War”, in ‘Encyclopaedia of Public International Law: Use of Force; War

and Neutrality; Peace Treaties’, vol. 4, Bernhardt, R. (ed.), North Holland, 1982, pp.

Early Codification Attempts of The Laws of War and The Influence of Civil War

İnönü Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi Cilt: 4 Sayı:1 Yıl 2013 219

regarding international law the legal rules concerning internal armed

conflict are relatively late in origin3. Some observers have noted that

before any civil conflicts could be considered as true wars, a crucial

conceptual step was necessary to be taken to somehow place insurgents on

a legal par with the government they were rebelling against, at least in

matters relating to the conflict itself4. The genesis of this doctrine could be

traced to the Islamic law which took a long step in that direction in the

Middle Ages, with its distinction between Bughat and ‘ordinary criminals

– with Bughat referring to persons who fought as a patriot for a cause than

mere personal enrichment5.

The development in the laws of war in the second half of the

nineteenth century was brought about mainly because of an era of great

belief in human progress in general6. This also heralded the birth of an era

of multilateral treaties setting out principles in this area of international

law for states to follow7. The most important aspect of this period was the

passion the international community developed for codification of rules

and regulations of the laws of war8.

597-603. For a study of some rebellions, see Russell, D.E.H., ‘Rebellion, Revolution

and Armed Forces, London, 1974.

3 Castren, E., ‘Civil War’, SUOMALAINEN TIEDEAKATEMIA, 1966, pp. 38-96.

4 Neff, S., ‘War and the Laws of nations: A General Story’, Cambridge University Press,

1st ed., 2005, p. 251.

5 Generally see Marcel Boisard, ‘On the probable influence of Islam on western public and

international law’, Interna tional J ournal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 11, 1980, pp.

429-50; Majid Khaduri, ‘War and Peace in the Law of Islam’, The Law Book

Exchange Ltd., 1st ed., 2006, pp. 65-66, 74-80; Khaled Abou El Fadl, ‘Rebellions and

Violence in Islamic Law’, Cambridge University Press, 2001, p. 32; Joel L. Kraemer,

‘Apostates, Rebels and Brigands’, Israel Oriental Studies 10 (1980): p. 34-73.

6 Schindler, D., Toman, J, ‘The Laws of Armed Conflicts’, 3rd ed., Martinus Nijhoff

Publishers/Henry Dunant Institute, Dordrecht/Geneva, 1988 , p. VII; also see Coker,

C., ‘War and the 20th Century: A Study of War and Modern Consciousness’,

University of Michigan Press, 1994, p. 5.

7 also see Rwelamira, M.R., ‘The Significance and Contribution of the Protocols to the

Geneva Con ventions of August 1949’, pp. 227-236, in Swinarski, C. (ed.), ‘Studies

and Essays on International Humanitarian Law and Red Cross Principles’, In Honor of

Jean Picet, ICRC, Geneva, 1984, p. 8.

8 Greenwood, C., ‘Historical Development and Legal Basis’ in Fleck D. & Bothe, M., ‘The

Handbook of International Humanitarian Law’, Oxford University Press, 2007, pp. 15-27.