A World History of War Crimes : From Antiquity to the Present

The greatly expanded and enhanced 2nd edition of A World History of War Crimes provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to the global history of war crimes and the laws of war. Tracing human efforts to limit warfare, from codes of war in antiquity designed to maintain a religiously conceived cosmic order to the gradual use in the modern age of the criminal trial as a means of enforcing universal humanitarian norms, Michael S. Bryant's book is a masterful one-volume account of the subject. This new edition includes, for the first time: * Two chapters providing extensive coverage of the Americas, Africa and the Middle East * Strengthened chronological boundaries – a new chapter on the Incas, Aztecs, Mayan, and North American Indian tribes, as well as more material across all regions in ancient times; discussion of contemporary war crimes committed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar and Syria * A historiographical essay to broaden your understanding of the field * An added final chapter focusing on the social, cultural and psychological aspects of the subject A World History of War Crimes is vital reading for anyone needing to understand the history of war in one of its most significant contexts. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Epigraph CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 THE ROOTS OF THE LAW OF WAR IN WORLD HISTORY Stone Age warfare The human imagination and the quest for cosmic order Conclusion CHAPTER 2 THE LAW OF WAR IN PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA Mesoamerica North America Conclusion CHAPTER 3 THE LAW OF WAR IN ROME, THE ISLAMIC WORLD, AND THE EUROPEAN MIDDLE AGES The Romans and the Law of War The Islamic world and the Law of War Medieval Europe and the Law of War Conclusion CHAPTER 4 MAKING LAW IN THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE OF THE WORLD: EARLY MODERNITY AND THE LAW OF WAR The practice of the Law of War, 1300–1648 The theory of the Law of War in early modernity Conclusion CHAPTER 5 COLONIALISM AND THE LAW OF WAR: IRELAND AND THE AMERICAS Central America North America Conclusion CHAPTER 6 THE LAW OF WAR IN THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES: EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The eighteenth century The nineteenth century Conclusion CHAPTER 7 THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND THE FAILURE OF THE LAW OF WAR German crimes in the First World War The collapse of the plan to try the Kaiser The debacle of efforts to prosecute other German war criminals German trials based on the KVVG Turkish crimes against Armenians Conclusion: the First World War and the quest for justice CHAPTER 8 THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND THE TRIUMPH OF THE LAW OF WAR German crimes in the Second World War The International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg, 1945–46 The American National Military Tribunal (NMT) at Nuremberg The US Army military trials in Europe Japanese crimes in the Second World War Conclusion: assessing the two World Wars as sources for the modern Law of War CHAPTER 9 INTO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: WAR CRIMES AND THEIR TREATMENT SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR The Geneva Conventions and the problem of irregular warfare Chemical weapons conventions: the legacy of the First World War in the postwar world International humanitarian courts: ad hoc and permanent The “Global War on Terror” and the Law of War Conclusion CHAPTER 10 SINGERS OF SONGS OF EXPERIENCE: TRYING TO EXPLAIN WAR CRIMES IN WORLD HISTORY David Livingstone Smith’s dehumanization theory: bestializing the other Social psychology Conclusion CONCLUSION: THE FUTURE OF THE LAW OF WAR NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX "A World History of War Crimes provides a truly global history of war crimes and the involvement of the legal systems faced with these acts. Documenting the long historical arc traced by human efforts to limit warfare, from codes of war in antiquity designed to maintain a religiously conceived cosmic order to the gradual use in the modern age of the criminal trial as a means of enforcing universal norms, this book provides a comprehensive one-volume account of war and the laws that have governed conflict since the dawn of world civilizations. Throughout his narrative, Michael Bryant locates the origin and evolution of the law of war in the interplay between different cultures. While showing that no single philosophical idea underlay the law of war in world history, this volume also proves that war in global civilization has rarely been an anarchic free-for-all. Rather, from its beginnings warfare has been subject to certain constraints defined by the unique needs and cosmological understandings of the cultures that produce them. Only in late modernity has law assumed its current international humanitarian form. The criminalization of war crimes in international courts today is only the most recent development of the ancient theme of constraining when and how war may be fought."--Bloomsbury Publishing "The greatly expanded and enhanced 2nd edition of A World History of War Crimes provides an authoritative and accessible global history of war crimes and the laws of war. Tracing human efforts to limit warfare, from codes of war in antiquity designed to maintain a religiously conceived cosmic order to the gradual use in the modern age of the criminal trial as a means of enforcing universal humanitarian norms, Michael Bryant's book is a masterful account of the subject. Five brand new chapters are included that reinforce the geographical, chronological, historiographical and conceptual dimensions of the book"-- Provided by publisher "The greatly expanded and enhanced second edition of [this book] provides an authoritative and accessible global history of war crimes and the laws of war. Tracing human efforts to limit warfare, from codes of war in antiquity designed to maintain a religiously conceived cosmic order to the gradual use in the modern age of the criminal trial as a means of enforcing universal humanitarian norms, Michael Bryant's book is a masterful account of the subject. Five brand new chapters are included that reinforce the geographical, chronological, historiographical and conceptual dimensions of the book"-- Provided by the publisher List of Illustrations Introduction 1. The Roots of the Law of War in World History 2. The Law of War in Rome, the Islamic World, and the European Middle Ages 3. Making Law in the Slaughterhouse of the World: Early Modernity & the Law of War 4. The Law of War in the 18th and 19th Centuries 5. World War I and the Failure of the Law of War 6. World War II and the Triumph of the Law of War 7. Into the 21st Century: War Crimes & their Treatment since World War II Conclusion: The Future of the Law of War Notes Bibliography Index