Law of Armed Conflict

[Guest nonniemowse]

May I start with an apology. If I cause offence, I apologise. The subject of my post may be sensitive to people. I have a genuine reason to post it.

I am the Training Officer for a Territorial Army Medical Services detachment. I am currently compiling a training programme. Part of the Individual Training Directives is 'the Law of Armed Conflict'. I wish to set up two training evenings along this theme. I wish to present issues in one 40 minute period and encourage a debate in the next period. The first week covering World War One, the second week covering modern conflict.

Now the contraversial bit....

I am considering presenting examples of violations of international law committed by combatants / governments of any side and use this as the basis of discussion.

I would like to use any maps, pictures, movies, documents that I can find.

I request anyone who has knowledge of such matters, or who can direct me to relevant sources to help me through this thread to prepare material to educate and inform this generation of medical soldiers.

Thank you in advance.

[munce]

Doing a google search on 'german atrocities belgium' produces a lot of information, including from the PRO, of the famous accusations of war crimes committed by the German Army in Belgium. There is a long history behind these accusations, and you'd need to come to your own conclusions as to their veracity. A similar search on '"british war crimes" "first world war"' doesn't produce anything of substance; a reflection perhaps of victor's justice.

However, numerous accounts do exist of, in particular, the murder of prisoners by British soldiers. Graves, in Goodbye to all That, mentions a British soldier putting grenades in the pockets of German prisoners, and Adrian Keith-Faulkner in 'The Oxforshire Hussars in the Great War' mentions a cavalry patrol shooting a German prisoner when they spotted another group of Germans ahead (I could give you more details if you require them). I'm sure there are plenty of other similar incidents that others know of.

[paul guthrie]

There is a scholarly book published about 2 years ago by two faculty of Trinity College, German Atrocities `1914 1918 A History of Denial, quite thorough definitive I believe.

[mordac]

Hi nonniemowse:

I thing the most glaring example of international law being violated during WWI (by both sides) is the use of poison gas as a weapon of war. Following is the article forbidding the use of asphyxiating gases signed by the "Great Powers" in 1899 and still in place in 1914.

Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The Hague, 29 July 1899.

Declaration (IV,2) concerning Asphyxiating Gases.

The undersigned, Plenipotentiaries of the Powers represented at the International Peace Conference at The Hague, duly authorized to that effect by their Governments, inspired by the sentiments which found expression in the Declaration of St. Petersburg of 29 November (11 December) 1868,

Declare as follows:

The Contracting Powers agree to abstain from the use of projectiles the sole object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases.

The present Declaration is only binding on the Contracting Powers in the case of a war between two or more of them.

It shall cease to be binding from the time when, in a war between the Contracting Powers, one of the belligerents shall be joined by a non-Contracting Power.

The present Declaration shall be ratified as soon as possible.

The ratifications shall be deposited at The Hague.

A ' procès-verbal ' shall be drawn up on the receipt of each ratification, a copy of which, duly certified, shall be sent through the diplomatic channel to all the Contracting Powers.

The non-Signatory Powers can adhere to the present Declaration. For this purpose they must make their adhesion known to the Contracting Powers by means of a written notification addressed to the Netherlands Government, and by it communicated to all the other Contracting Powers.

In the event of one of the High Contracting Parties denouncing the present Declaration, such denunciation shall not take effect until a year after the notification made in writing to the Government of the Netherlands, and forthwith communicated by it to all the other Contracting Powers.

This denunciation shall only affect the notifying Power.

In faith of which the Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Declaration, and affixed their seals thereto.

Done at The Hague, 29 July 1899, in a single copy, which shall be kept in the archives of the Netherlands Government, and copies of which, duly certified, shall be sent by the diplomatic channel to the Contracting Powers.

Hope this is of some help.

Garth