In the formation of the modern law of nations, peace treaties played a pivotal role. Many basic principles and rules that governed and still govern relations between states were introduced and elaborated in the great peace treaties from the Renaissance onwards. Nevertheless, until recently few scholars have studied these primary sources of the law of nations from a juridical perspective. In this edited collection, specialists from all over Europe, including legal and diplomatic historians, international lawyers and an International Relations theorist, analyse peace treaty practice from the late fifteenth century to the Peace of Versailles of 1919. Important emphasis is given to the doctrinal debate about peace treaties and the influence of older, Roman and medieval concepts on modern practices. This book goes back further in time beyond the epochal Peace of Treaties of Westphalia of 1648 and this broader perspective allows for a reassessment of the role of the sovereign state in the modern international legal order.

The Major International Treaties of the Twentieth Century surveys the history of treaty-making throughout the twentieth century. It accessibly provides the texts of all the major treaties that either continue in force today, or are of historical importance. These treaties are essential for an understanding of recent history and analysis of current international relations. The Major International Treaties of the Twentieth Century is truly global in scope and covers treaties of all aspects, from political and economic agreements to environmental and human rights pacts. From the great many treaties set out and discussed, examples include: * the Treaty of Versailles, 1919 * the Pact of Steel, 1939 * the Charter of the United Nations, 1945 * the North Atlantic Treaty, 1949 * the Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, 1990 * the Belfast Agreement, 1998 * the Charter of the Organisation of African Unity, 1963 * the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. Drawing on the previous volumes of their books on major international treaties, the authors bring the picture up to date in this definitive work with the events of the 1980s and the 1990s, many of which have rendered earlier treaties redundant. This is an invaluable resource for all those interested in modern history, politics and international relations.

Interest in international law has increased greatly over the past decade, largely because of its central place in discussions such as the Iraq War and Guantanamo, the World Trade Organisation, the anti-capitalist movement, the Kyoto Convention on climate change, and the apparent failure of the international system to deal with the situations in Palestine and Darfur, and the plights of refugees and illegal immigrants around the world. This Very Short Introduction explains what international law is, what its role in international society is, and how it operates. Vaughan Lowe examines what international law can and cannot do and what it is and what it isn't doing to make the world a better place. Focussing on the problems the world faces, Lowe uses terrorism, environmental change, poverty, and international violence to demonstrate the theories and practice of international law, and how the principles can be used for international co-operation.

This guide is an authoritative reference point for anyone interested in the creation or interpretation of treaties and other forms of international agreement. It covers the rules and practices surrounding their making, interpretation, and operation, and uses hundreds of real examples to illustrate different approaches treaty-makers can take.