René Cassin and Human Rights: From the Great War to the Universal Declaration (Human Rights in History)

Through the life of one extraordinary man, this biography reveals what the term human rights meant to the men and women who endured two world wars, and how this major political and intellectual movement ultimately inspired and enshrined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. René Cassin was a man of his generation, committed to moving from war to peace through international law, and whose work won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. His life crossed all the major events of the first seventy years of the twentieth century, and illustrates the hopes, aspirations, failures and achievements of an entire generation. It shows how today's human rights regimes emerged from the First World War as a pacifist response to that catastrophe and how, after 1945, human rights became a way to go beyond the dangers of absolute state sovereignty, helping to create today's European project. Contents......Page 9 Plates......Page 11 Preface and acknowledgments......Page 15 Introduction to the English edition......Page 19 Abbreviations......Page 24 Part I In the shadow of the Great War......Page 27 The family......Page 29 Education......Page 35 Friends......Page 40 2 The Great War and its aftermath......Page 45 A casualty of war......Page 46 Victims’ rights: a prelude to social security in France......Page 51 President of the UF, 1922-23......Page 59 The national commissions for disabled veterans and wards of the nation......Page 61 Autonomous and centralized commissions......Page 62 Joint control......Page 64 Increasing influence......Page 69 Professor of law......Page 70 The UF and the National Commission for Disabled Veterans (ONM)......Page 72 The National Commission for Wards of the Nation (ONP)......Page 74 3 Cassin in Geneva......Page 77 The third way, the ILO and veterans’ politics, 1919-25......Page 78 CIAMAC......Page 85 The League of Nations......Page 89 Intellectual cooperation......Page 91 L’Union Internationale de Secours (UIS)......Page 94 The Geneva Protocol......Page 96 A political interlude......Page 98 Disarmament: endgame......Page 102 4 From nightmare to reality, 1936-1940......Page 106 A personal reckoning......Page 107 From collective security to the Leviathan state, 1935-40......Page 110 Growing isolation in the veterans’ movement......Page 120 The end of a world......Page 128 Part II The jurist of Free France......Page 133 5 Free France, 1940-1941......Page 135 The Churchill-de Gaulle accords: negotiations and outcomes......Page 136 The Defence Council of the Empire......Page 142 Living under the Blitz......Page 154 6 World War, 1941-1943......Page 160 Permanent secretary of the Defence Council......Page 161 Exiles......Page 167 Cassin among the Allies......Page 169 Minister of Justice and Education......Page 176 Ambassador of Free France, 1942......Page 177 The organization of the Ministry......Page 184 The study of post-war problems......Page 185 Human rights......Page 187 The Provisional Consultative Assembly (ACP)......Page 191 What now?......Page 194 The re-establishment of Republican legality......Page 205 Cassins political thinking and the law of 21 April 1944......Page 210 Dealing with the victims of Vichy......Page 214 Vichy repression and respect for the general principles of law......Page 219 The course of justice and the crime of national indignity......Page 246 The man in the portrait......Page 250 The teacher......Page 255 Loyalties......Page 259 Part III The struggle for human rights......Page 269 9 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: origins and echoes......Page 271 Rethinking state sovereignty: Geneva and The Hague......Page 272 Towards UNESCO......Page 277 The Commission on Human Rights......Page 283 The Universal Declaration: a collective manifesto......Page 286 The European turn......Page 301 The Nobel Prize and after......Page 309 10 The vice-president of the Conseil d’Etat, 1944-1960......Page 315 New directions for the Conseil d’Etat......Page 316 The war in Algeria......Page 324 Chairing the executive board of ENA......Page 329 From the Fourth to the Fifth Republic......Page 343 11 A Jewish life......Page 351 The legacy of the war......Page 353 The President of the Alliance Israélite Universelle......Page 359 Cassin, the AIU, France and Israel......Page 372 Cassin and the French Jewish community......Page 386 Conclusion......Page 391 Sources and archives......Page 404 Bibliography......Page 407 Index......Page 411 Through The Life Of One Extraordinary Man, This Biography Reveals What The Term Human Rights Meant To The Men And Women Who Endured Two World Wars, And How This Major Political And Intellectual Movement Ultimately Inspired And Enshrined The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. René Cassin Was A Man Of His Generation, Committed To Moving From War To Peace Through International Law, And Whose Work Won Him The Nobel Peace Prize In 1968. His Life Crossed All The Major Events Of The First 70 Years Of The Twentieth Century, And Illustrates The Hopes, Aspirations, Failures, And Achievements Of An Entire Generation. It Shows How Today's Human Rights Regimes Emerged From The First World War As A Pacifist Response To That Catastrophe And How, After 1945, Human Rights Became A Way To Go Beyond The Dangers Of Absolute State Sovereignty, Helping To Create Today's European Project-- Family And Education, 1887-1914 -- The Great War And Its Aftermath -- Cassin In Geneva -- From Nightmare To Reality, 1936-1940 -- Free France, 1940-1941 -- World War, 1941-1943 -- Restoring The Republican Legal Order : The Comitâe Juridique -- Freeze Frame : Renâe Cassin In 1944 -- The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights : Origins And Echoes -- The Vice-president Of The Conseil D'etat, 1944-1960 -- A Jewish Life. Jay Winter And Antoine Prost. Originally Published In French By Fayard, 2011. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Through the life of one extraordinary man, this biography reveals what the term human rights meant to the men and women who endured two world wars, and how this major political and intellectual movement ultimately inspired and enshrined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. René Cassin was a man of his generation, committed to moving from war to peace through international law, and whose work won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. His life crossed all the major events of the first 70 years of the twentieth century, and illustrates the hopes, aspirations, failures, and achievements of an entire generation. It shows how today's human rights regimes emerged from the First World War as a pacifist response to that catastrophe and how, after 1945, human rights became a way to go beyond the dangers of absolute state sovereignty, helping to create today's European project"-- Résumé de l'éditeur "Through the life of one extraordinary man, this biography reveals what the term human rights meant to the men and women who endured two world wars, and how this major political and intellectual movement ultimately inspired and enshrined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. René Cassin was a man of his generation, committed to moving from war to peace through international law, and whose work won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. His life crossed all the major events of the first 70 years of the twentieth century, and illustrates the hopes, aspirations, failures, and achievements of an entire generation. It shows how today's human rights regimes emerged from the First World War as a pacifist response to that catastrophe and how, after 1945, human rights became a way to go beyond the dangers of absolute state sovereignty, helping to create today's European project"-- Provided by publisher Machine generated contents note: Introduction to the English edition; Part I. In the Shadow of the Great War: 1. Family and education, 1887-1914; 2. The Great War and its aftermath; 3. Cassin in Geneva; 4. From nightmare to reality: 1936-1940; Part II. The Jurist of Free France: 5. Free France: 1940-41; 6. World war: 1941-43; 7. Republican legality and the return to peace: 1943-44; 8. Freeze frame: René Cassin in 1944; Part III. The Struggle for Human Rights: 9. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: origins and echoes; 10. Vice-president of the Conseil d'Etat; 11. A Jewish life; Conclusion; Essay on sources. Through the biography of one extraordinary man at the centre of the human rights movement, this book reveals how the political and intellectual movement emerged from the experiences of a generation who endured two world wars, and gained the momentum to ultimately enshrine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.