Outlawed means of war
The prohibition of weapons of war refers to a self-imposed prohibition or agreement not to use certain weapons or ammunition in a war, even if, from a purely military point of view, this could bring an advantage over the enemy. The reasons for this have changed over time. While the aim in the Middle Ages was to maintain the status of the class, it was not until the 19th century that the idea of alleviating human suffering emerged. In the case of weapons of mass destruction , the well-founded fear of total mutual annihilation is the driving force.
In 1139 the Second Lateran Council under Pope Innocent II forbade the use of the crossbow against Christians. No armor held up against the weapon, which called the entire knighthood into question. However, little attention was paid to the ban on the battlefields of Europe.
For various reasons, Japan pushed back firearms in the Edo period (1603–1868) . But that only succeeded because the empire was united and cut itself off from the outside world.
The age of modernity is characterized by a rapid development of the means of war . Respect for human dignity has been recognized internationally since the 19th century , albeit not uniformly. The IHL was international treaties introduced and thus limits the choice of means in case of war binding. However, not all states have acceded to all treaties and continue to do so.
In 1868, on the initiative of Tsar Alexander II, the Petersburg Declaration outlawed grenades weighing less than 400 grams, as they were mainly used as anti-personnel ammunition.
In 1899, various land warfare customs were adopted in the Hague Land Warfare Regulations. Article 23 prohibits the use of poison or poisoned weapons and the use of weapons, projectiles or substances capable of causing unnecessary suffering. This includes anti-personnel projectiles with strong deformation and disintegration effects. (e.g. partial jacketed bullet )
1925 was followed by the Geneva Protocol which chemical and biological outlawed weapons. This protocol was supplemented by the Biological Weapons Convention (1972) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (1993).
Nuclear weapons play a special role, the proliferation of which was to be stopped with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970. However, the nuclear powers still retain the right to their own nuclear weapons, which is unequal treatment in the treaty. This is a special case in international treaties.
In 1980, the Convention on the Prohibition or Restriction of the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons , Which May Cause Undue suffering or May Work Indiscriminately, came into force:
- Ammunition that releases fragments that cannot be detected by X - rays
- Undetectable anti - personnel mines and non-self-deactivating landmines . The Ottawa Convention tightened these restrictions in 1997 and included a total ban on anti-personnel mines.
- Blind -making laser weapons
Cluster bombs are subject to similar problems as anti-personnel mines because the number of duds is high. Belgium (2005) and Austria (2007) have therefore passed bans on these weapons.
Web links
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- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated April 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Noel Perrin: No more firearms. Japan's Return to the Sword, 1543-1879 . Klett-Cotta, 1996. ISBN 978-3608917185
- ↑ http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/0_515_111/a23.html
- ↑ http://www.un.org/millennium/law/xxvi-18-19.htm
