The Law of Nations and Britain’s Quest for Naval Security : International Law and Arms Control, 1898–1914

"As the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles approaches, this book presents the pre-1914 precursors to the interwar naval arms treaties arising from the peace of 1919, providing a fresh perspective on arms control efforts through an interdisciplinary approach. Interweaving historical investigation with legal analysis, Scott Keefer traces the British role in the development of naval arms control, outlining the pragmatic Foreign Office approaches towards international law. By emphasizing what was possible within the existing legal system rather than attempting to create radically powerful international institutions, statesmen crafted treaties to exploit the unique pace of naval construction. Utilizing previously-overlooked archival resources, this book investigates how the great powers exploited treaties as elements of national security strategies. The result is a fuller analysis of the Hague Peace Conferences, Anglo-German discussions, and lesser known regional agreements from the American Great Lakes to South America, and a richer exploration of pre-1914 diplomacy, providing insights into how a past generation perceived questions of war and defence"--Back cover Dedication 5 Acknowledgements 6 Contents 8 List of Tables 10 CHAPTER 1: Introduction 11 Chapter 2: Arms Control Antecedents in the Nineteenth Century 25 Armaments Competition and National Interest in the Nineteenth Century 25 The Anglo-French Naval Declarations of 1787 29 Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817 34 Black Sea Neutralization of 1856 43 St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868 – “Explosive Missals” 49 Customary Limits on Armaments 53 International Law and Security in the Nineteenth Century 57 Conclusion 61 Outline Placeholder 62 Chapter 3: International Law in the Nineteenth Century 63 An International Police Force 63 The Declaration of London, 1871 64 The Context of International Law 70 Scholars and Official Law 73 Sources of Law and Non-binding Agreements 78 The Function of International Law: “An Obstacle though not a Barrier” 85 Law’s Function in Increasing Predictability 85 Law’s Function in Communicating Vital Interests 87 Law’s Function in Strengthening Mutual Interests 89 Enforcement of Legal Obligations and Expectations of War 90 Legal Enforcement and International Order 98 Conclusion 103 Outline Placeholder 104 Chapter 4: The First Hague Peace Conference 105 Introduction 105 International Law and General Disarmament 108 Calling of the Hague Conference of 1899 114 British Preparation for the Hague Conference 118 British Naval Armament Limitation Offer to Russia 123 Great Britain and Disarmament at The Hague 125 Land Armaments at The Hague 127 General Limitation Debates at The Hague 130 Naval Armaments at The Hague 132 Armaments Declarations at The Hague 137 Conclusion 144 Outline Placeholder 145 Chapter 5: Naval Arms Control and Regional Negotiations: Precedents, Issues, and Implications 146 Argentine-Chilean Naval Arms Race 149 The Pacts of May 158 The Pacts of May and Regional Competition 164 Revision of the Rush-Bagot Agreement 167 Naval Arms Control in the New Century: Precedents and Implications 175 Conclusion 184 Outline Placeholder 185 Chapter 6: Preparations for the Second Hague Peace Conference 186 Introduction 186 The Russo-Japanese War and the Hague Agenda 189 Diplomacy Prior to the Second Hague Peace Conference 191 The Walton Committee and the Hague Agenda 201 The Walton Committee and Naval Armaments 203 Conclusion 210 The Russo-Japanese War raised many issues more appropriately han 211 Chapter 7: The Second Hague Peace Conference 212 Introduction 212 The Second Hague Peace Conference Proceedings 215 The Arms Limitation Resolution 215 Balloons and Aerial Bombardment 220 Submarine Mines 224 Conversion of Merchant Ships into Warships 229 Conclusion 232 Outline Placeholder 233 Chapter 8: International Law and Armaments, 1900–1914 234 Introduction 234 International Law and Popular Perception of Arms Limitation Up to 1907 237 Scholars and the International Law of Arms Limitation, 1900–1914 244 The London Conference of 1908–1909 250 Aerial Warfare and Preparations for the Third Hague Peace Conference 255 Conclusion 259 Outline Placeholder 260 Chapter 9: The Dreadnought Competition and Arms Control up to 1914 261 Introduction 261 Anglo-German Naval Arms Control and International Law 1908–1914 262 Global Naval Arms Competition and International Law 270 Exchange of Information Negotiations 278 The Naval Holiday and Informal Arms Control 287 Conclusion 290 Outline Placeholder 291 Chapter 10: Conclusion 292 Outline Placeholder 300 Bibliography 301 Unpublished Primary Sources 301 Admiralty Archives, The National Archives, Kew 301 Cabinet Archives, The National Archives, Kew 302 Committee of Imperial Defence, Cabinet Archives, The National Archives, Kew 303 Colonial Office Archives, The National Archives, Kew 303 Foreign Office Archives, The National Archives, Kew 303 War Office, Public Records Office, Kew 306 Parliamentary Papers 306 United States Documents 306 Published Primary Sources 306 Treaties and International Agreements 307 Primary Sources on Law and Armaments 310 Secondary Sources 314 Index 322 As the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles approaches, this book presents the pre-1914 precursors to the interwar naval arms treaties arising from the peace of 1919, providing a fresh perspective on arms control efforts through an interdisciplinary approach. Interweaving historical investigation with legal analysis, Scott Keefer traces the British role in the development of naval arms control, outlining the pragmatic Foreign Office approaches towards international law. By emphasizing what was possible within the existing legal system rather than attempting to create radically powerful international institutions, statesmen crafted treaties to exploit the unique pace of naval construction. Utilising previously-overlooked archival resources, this book investigates how the great powers exploited treaties as elements of national security strategies Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-14 Arms Control Antecedents in the Nineteenth Century....Pages 15-52 International Law in the Nineteenth Century....Pages 53-94 The First Hague Peace Conference....Pages 95-135 Naval Arms Control and Regional Negotiations: Precedents, Issues, and Implications....Pages 137-176 Preparations for the Second Hague Peace Conference....Pages 177-202 The Second Hague Peace Conference....Pages 203-224 International Law and Armaments, 1900–1914....Pages 225-251 The Dreadnought Competition and Arms Control up to 1914....Pages 253-283 Conclusion....Pages 285-293 Back Matter....Pages 295-326