In 1864, representatives of several European countries, including the major continental powers France and Prussia, met in Geneva to sign a convention that laid down the framework to which the Red Cross started to operate. Explore its contents bellow.
Convention
for the Amelioration of the Condition of the wounded in armies in the field
The
Swiss Confederation; His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Baden; His Majesty
the King of the Belgians; His Majesty the King of Denmark; Her Majesty the
Queen of Spain; His Majesty the Emperor of the French; His Royal Highness the
Grand Duke of Hesse; His Majesty the King of Italy; His Majesty the King of the
Netherlands; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves; His Majesty
the King of Prussia; His Majesty the King of Würtemberg, being equally animated
with the desire to soften, as much as depends on them, the evils of warfare, to
suppress its useless hardships and improve the fate of wounded soldiers on the
field of battle, have resolved to conclude a convention to that effect, and
have named for their plenipotentiaries, viz:
The Swiss Confederation: Guillaume Henri
Dufour, Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour, General in
Chief of the federal army, Member of the Council of States; Gustave Moynier,
President of the International Relief Committee for wounded soldiers and of the
Geneva Society of Public Utility; and Samuel Lehmann, federal Colonel, Doctor
in Chief of the federal army, Member of the National Council.
His Royal Highness
the Grand Duke of Baden: Robert Volz, Knight of the Order of the Lion of
Zaehringen, M.D., Medical Councillor at the Direction of Medical Affairs; and
Adolphe Steiner, Knight of the Order of the Lion of Zaehringen, Chief Staff
Physician.
His Majesty the King
of Belgians: Auguste
Visschers, Officer of the Order of Léopold, Councillor at the Council of Mines.
His Majesty the King
of Denmark: Charles-Emile
Fenger, Commander of the Order of Danebrog, decorated with the silver cross of
the same Order, Grand Cross of the Order of Léopold of Belgium, etc., His
Councillor of State.
Her Majesty the Queen
of Spain: Don
José Heriberto Garcia de Quevedo, Gentleman of Her Chamber on active service,
Knight of the Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic, Numerary Commander of the
Order of Charles III, Knight of the first class of the Royal and Military Order
of St. Ferdinand, Officer of the Legion of Honour of France, Her Minister
Resident to the Swiss Confederation.
His Majesty the
Emperor of the French: Georges-Charles Jagerschmidt, Officer of the Imperial
Order of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the Order of Léopold of Belgium,
Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle of Prussia of the Third class, etc., etc.,
Sub-Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Henri Eugene Séguineau de Préval,
Knight of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour, decorated with the Imperial
Order of the Medjidié of fourth class, Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice
and Lazarus of Italy, etc., etc., military Sub-Commissioner of first class; and
Martin François Boudier, Officer of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour,
decorated with the Imperial Order of the Medjidié of the fourth class,
decorated with the medal of Military Valour of Italy, etc., etc., doctor in
chief of second class.
His Royal Highness
the Grand Duke of Hess: Charles August Brodruck, Knight of the Order of Philip of
Magnanimous, of the Order of St. Michael of Bavaria, Officer of the Royal Order
of the Holy Saviour, etc., Chief of Battalion, Staff Officer.
His Majesty the King
of Italy: Jean
Capello, Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, his Consul General
of Switzerland; and Felix Baroffio, Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and
Lazarus, Doctor in Chief of medical division.
His Majesty the King
of Netherlands: Bernard
Ortuinus Théodore Henri Westenberg, Officer of His Order of the Crown of Oak,
Knight of the Orders of Charles III of Spain, of the Crown of Prussia, of
Adolphe of Nassau, L.D., His Secretary of Legation of Frankfort.
His Majesty the King
of Portugal and of the Algarves: José Antonio Marques, Knight of the Order of
Christ, of Our Lady of the Conception of Villa-Viçosa, of Saint Benedict of
Aviz, of Léopold of Belgium, etc., M.D., Surgeon of Brigade, Sub-chief of the
Department of Health at the Ministry of War.
His Majesty of the
King of Prussia: Charles
Albert de Kamptz, Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle of second class, etc.,
etc., His Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss
Confederation, Private Councillor of Legation; Godefroi Frédéric François
Loeffler, Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle of third class, etc., etc.,
M.D., Physician in Chief of the fourth Army Corps; Georges Hermann Jules
Ritter, Knight of the Order of the Crown of third class, etc., etc., Private
Council at the Ministry of War.
His Majesty the King
of Würtemberg: Christophe Ulric Hahn, Knight of the Order of
Saints Maurice and Lazarus, etc., Doctor of Philosophy and Theology, Member of
the Central Royal Direction for Charitable Institutions:
Who,
after having exchanged their powers, and found them in good and due form,
agreed to the following articles:
Art.
1
Ambulances
and military hospitals shall be recognized as neutral and, as such, protected
and respected by the belligerents as long as they accommodate wounded and sick.
Neutrality
shall end if the said ambulances or hospitals should be held by a military
force.
Art.
2
Hospital
and ambulance personnel, including the quarter-master’s staff, the medical,
administrative and transport services, and the chaplains, shall have the
benefit of the same neutrality when on duty, and while there remain any wounded
to be brought in or assisted.
Art.
3
The
persons designated in the preceding Article may, even after enemy occupation,
continue to discharge their functions in the Hospital or ambulance with which
they serve, or may withdraw to rejoin the units to which they belong.
When
in these circumstances they cease their functions, such persons shall be
delivered to the enemy outposts by the occupying forces.
Art.
4
The
material of military hospitals being subject to the laws of war, the persons
attached to such hospitals may take with them, on withdrawing, only the
articles which are their own personal property.
Ambulances,
on the contrary, under similar circumstances, shall retain their equipment.
Art.
5
Inhabitants
of the country who bring help to the wounded shall be respected and shall
remain free. Generals of the belligerent Powers shall make it their duty to
notify the inhabitants of the appeal made to their humanity, and of the
neutrality which humane conduct will confer.
The
presence of any wounded combatant receiving shelter and care in a house shall
ensure its protection. An inhabitant who has given shelter to the wounded shall
be exempted from billeting and from a portion of such war contributions as may
be levied.
Art.
6
Wounded
or sick combatants, to whatever nation they may belong, shall be collected and
cared for.
Commander-in-Chief
may hand over immediately to the enemy outposts enemy combatants wounded
during an engagement, when circumstances allow and subject to the agreement of
both parties.
Those
who, after their recovery, are recognized as being unfit for further service,
shall be repatriated.
The
others may likewise be sent back, on condition that they shall not again, for
the duration of hostilities, take up arms.
Evacuation
parties, and the personnel conducting them, shall be considered as being
absolutely neutral.
Art.
7
A
distinctive and uniform flag shall be adopted for hospitals, ambulances and
evacuation parties. It should in all circumstances be accompanied by the
national flag.
An
armlet may also be worn by personnel enjoying neutrality but its issue shall be
left to the military authorities.
Both
flag and armlet shall bear a red cross on a white ground.
Art.
8
The
implementing of the present Convention shall be arranged by the
Commander-in-Chief of the belligerent armies following the instructions of
their respective Governments and in accordance with the general principles set
forth in this Convention.
Art.
9
The
High Contacting Parties have agreed to communicate the present Convention with
an invitation to accede thereto to Governments unable to appoint
Plenipotentiaries to the International Conference at Geneva. The Protocol has
accordingly been left open.
Art.
10
The
present Convention shall be ratified and the ratification exchanged at Berne,
within the next four months, or sooner if possible.
In
faith whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the Convention and
thereto affixed their seals.
Done
at Geneva, this twenty-second day of August, in the year one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
Source:
Dunant, Henry. A Memory of Solferino. Geneva, Switzerland: International Committee of the Red Cross. 1959. https://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/publications/icrc-002-0361.pdf
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