Volume 16 , Issue 41

1899 - First Hague Peace Conference

To find the first Hague Peace Conference we need to look back to 1899 and its aftermath served both as a guide and warning to the organizers of The Hague Appeal.

The first Hague Peace Conference was not driven by the sudden conversion of Europe's rulers to pacifism, but by Russia's desire to escape the crushing burden of keeping up with Germany and England's armament pace in Western Europe. Certain idealistic motives played roles, no progress was made on disarmament at the end of each day.

The conference was not without important results, though: 1.) It produced a convention for the Pacific Settlement of Disputes which resulted in the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration; 2.) an issue on Laws and Customs of War on Land known as "The Hague Convention" remains as the most important source of humanitarian law; and 3.) concerning Maritime warfare, the conference adopted declaration to the effect that throwing projectiles from balloons and other aircraft had an indiscriminate effect on civilians, and the use of asphyxiating gases and dum dum bullets should be forbidden because of their inhumane nature.

Civil society played a considerable role both before and after the first conference. It helped to overcome the initial reluctance of most governments to accept the Czar's invitation. The various peace societies led by indefatigable Baroness Bertha von Suttner, kept up a veritable drum roll of urgings and entreaties.

The second Hague Peace Conference was initiated and came from civil society in United States, prompted by a petition in 1903 from the American Peace Society in Boston. The Massachusetts legislature passed a resolution requesting congress to authorize President of United States to invite governments of the world to join in establishing a regular international congress to meet at sated periods to deliberate upon serious questions of common interest. The idea was taken up in ST. Louis in 1904 by Inter-parliamentary Union that recommended a conference to deal with the subjects postponed at the Hague in 1899.

President Theodore Roosevelt responded to this invitation by convening the second Hague Peace Conference, held on 15 June 1907, after being formally convened by the Czar. Russia proposed an agenda limited to improvements i arbitration and humanitarian law, while America suggested discussing the limitation of armaments and the use of force in collection of debts.
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