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Geneva Convention

The Geneva Convention was a series of

CONTENTS
international diplomatic meetings that
1. Henry Dunant produced a number of agreements, in
2. Red Cross particular the Humanitarian Law of Armed
3. Geneva Conventions of Con icts, a group of international laws for
1906 and 1929 the humane treatment of wounded or
4. Geneva Conventions of captured military personnel, medical
1949
personnel and non-military civilians during
5. Geneva Convention
war or armed con icts. The agreements
Protocols
originated in 1864 and were signi cantly
6. Sources
updated in 1949 after World War II.

Henry Dunant
For much of mankind’s history, the ground rules of warfare were hit or miss, if
they existed at all. While some civilizations showed compassion for the injured,
helpless or innocent civilians, others tortured or slaughtered anyone in sight,
no questions asked.

In 1859, Genevan businessman Henry Dunant traveled to Emperor Napoleon

III’s headquarters in northern Italy to seek land rights for a business venture.
He got much more than he bargained for, however, when he found himself a
witness to the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino, a gory battle in the Second
War of Italian Independence.

The horri c su ering Dunant saw impacted him so greatly he wrote a rst-
hand account in 1862 called A Memory of Solferino. But he didn’t just write
about what he’d observed, he also proposed a solution: All nations come
together to create trained, volunteer relief groups to treat battle eld wounded
and o er humanitarian assistance to those a ected by war.

Red Cross
A committee was formed—which included Dunant and an early iteration of the
Red
Red
Red Cross
Cross—in
Cross Geneva to explore ways to implement Dunant’s ideas.

In October 1863, delegates from 16 countries along with military medical

personnel traveled to Geneva to discuss the terms of a wartime humanitarian
agreement. This meeting and its resultant treaty signed by 12 nations became
known as the First Geneva Convention.

Despite playing an important role in the progression of what became the

International Committee of the Red Cross, continuing his work as champion
for the battle-wounded and prisoners of war and winning the rst Nobel Peace
Prize, Dunant lived and died in near poverty.

Geneva Conventions of 1906 and 1929

In 1906, the Swiss government arranged a conference of 35 states to review
and update improvements to the First Geneva Convention.

The amendments extended protections for those wounded or captured in

battle as well as volunteer agencies and medical personnel tasked with
treating, transporting and removing the wounded and killed.

It also made the repatriation of captured belligerents a recommendation

instead of mandatory. The 1906 Convention replaced the First Geneva
Convention of 1864.

After World
World
World War
War
War II,I it was clear the 1906 Convention and The Hague Convention
of 1907 didn’t go far enough. In 1929, updates were made to further the
civilized treatment of prisoners of war.

The new updates stated all prisoners must be treated with compassion and
live in humane conditions. It also laid out rules for the daily lives of prisoners
and established the International Red Cross as the main neutral organization
responsible for collecting and transmitting data about prisoners of war and
the wounded or killed.

Geneva Conventions of 1949

Germany signed the Convention of 1929, however, that didn’t prevent them
from carrying out horri c acts on and o the battle eld and within their
military prison camps and civilian concentration camps during World
World
World War
War
War IIII.
II As
a result, the Geneva Conventions were expanded in 1949 to protect non-
combatant civilians.

According to the American

American
American Red
Red
Red Cross
Cross,
Cross the new articles also added provisions to
protect:

medical personnel, facilities and equipment

wounded and sick civilians accompanying military forces

military chaplains

civilians who take up arms to ght invading forces

Article 9 of the Convention speci ed the Red Cross has the right to assist the
wounded and sick and provide humanitarian aid. Article 12 stipulated the
wounded and sick must not be murdered, tortured, exterminated or exposed
to biological experiments.

The Geneva Conventions of 1949 also laid out rules for protecting wounded,
sick or shipwrecked armed forces at sea or on hospital ships as well as medical
workers and civilians accompanying or treating military personnel. Some
highlights of these rules are:

hospital ships cannot be used for any military purpose nor captured or
attacked

captured religious leaders must be returned immediately

all sides must attempt to rescue any shipwrecked personnel, even those
from another side of the con ict

Male and female prisoners of war received expanded protections in the

Convention of 1949 such as:

they must not be tortured or mistreated

they’re only required to give their name, rank, birth date and serial number
when captured

they must receive suitable housing and adequate amounts of food

they must not be discriminated against for any reason

they have the right to correspond with family and receive care packages

the Red Cross has the right to visit them and examine their living conditions

Articles were also put in place to protect wounded, sick and pregnant civilians
as well as mothers and children. It also stated civilians may not be collectively
deported or made to work on behalf of an occupying force without pay. All
civilians should receive adequate medical care and be allowed to go about
their daily lives as much as possible.

Geneva Convention Protocols

In 1977, Protocols I and II were added to the Conventions of 1949. Protocol
Protocol
Protocol III
increased protections for civilians, military workers and journalists during
international armed con icts. It also banned the use of “weapons that cause
super uous injury or unnecessary su ering,” or cause “widespread, long-term
and severe damage to the natural environment.”

According to the Red Cross, Protocol II was established because most victims
of armed con icts since the 1949 Convention were victims of vicious civil wars.
The Protocol stated all people not taking up arms be treated humanely and
there should never be an order by anyone in command for “no survivors.”

In addition, children should be well cared for and educated, and the following
is prohibited:

taking hostages

terrorism

pillage

slavery

group punishment

humiliating or degrading treatment

In 2005, a Protocol was created to recognize the symbol of the red crystal—in
addition to the red cross, the red crescent and the red shield of David—as
universal emblems of identi cation and protection in armed con icts.

Over 190 states follow the Geneva Conventions because of the belief that
some battle eld behaviors are so heinous and damaging, they harm the entire
international community. The rules help draw a line—as much as is possible
within the context of wars and armed con icts—between the humane
treatment of armed forces, medical sta and civilians and unrestrained
brutality against them.

Sources
Geneva Convention of 27 July 1929 relative to the treatment of prisoners of
war. International
International
International Committee
Committee
Committee of
of
of the
the
the Red
Red
Red Cross.
Cross.
Cross.
Geneva Conventions. Cornell
Cornell
Cornell Law
Law
Law School
School
School Legal
Legal
Legal Information
Information
Information Institute.
Institute.
Institute.
Henry Dunant Biographical. Nobelprize.org.
Nobelprize.org.
Nobelprize.org.
History of the Geneva Conventions. PBS.org.
PBS.org.
PBS.org.
Summary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Their Additional Protocols.
American
American
American Red
Red
Red Cross.
Cross.
Cross.
The Battle of Solferino. British
British
British Red
Red
Red Cross.
Cross.
Cross.
Treaties, States Parties, and Commentaries: Convention for the Amelioration
of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field. Geneva, 6 July
1906. International
International
International Committee
Committee
Committee of
of
of the
the
the Red
Red
Red Cross.
Cross.
Cross.
Treaties, States, Parties, and Commentaries: Protocol Additional to the Geneva
Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of
International Armed Con icts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. International
International
International
Committee
Committee
Committee of
of
of the
the
the Red
Red
Red Cross.
Cross.
Cross.
Treaties, States Parties, and Commentaries: Protocol Additional to the Geneva
Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of
Non-International Armed Con icts (Protocol II), 8 June 1977. International
International
International
Committee
Committee
Committee of
of
of the
the
the Red
Red
Red Cross.
Cross.
Cross.

Citation Information
Article Title
Geneva Convention

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/geneva-convention

Access Date
February 10, 2019

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

November 17, 2017

TAGS · WORLD WAR II

BY HISTORY.COM EDITORS

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