Its logo signaled sanctuary of safety and help. A group of volunteers showing the best of mankind during worst times. The Red Cross is an international organization dedicated in volunteerism and assistance to everyone in need during perilous events in every corner of the world. And it all began on August 1863.
Henri Dunant
The Red Cross began with a privileged Swiss Jean
Henri Dunant, who envisioned an international humanitarian organization from his encounter of a conflict in 1859. What he witnessed convinced him to crusade for the care of wounded and the weak during wartime. Through his travels, books, and lectures, Europe noticed and heard his advocacy, leading eventually to the realization of his dream in form of the Red Cross.
Dunant
was born on May 8, 1828 to a very successful and highly respected businessman
and a deeply religious Calvinist and dedicated mother. His mother taught him
important Christian values, such as kindness, generosity, and charity; while,
his father imbued him the value of hard work and perseverance. During his
teenage years, free from worries of survival, well-educated, and warmhearted,
he engaged in many philanthropic activities for the needy and less fortunate – the
paupers, the sickly, prisoners, and the marginalized. He joined volunteer and
charitable organizations like the local League of Alms and the multinational
Young Men’s Christian Union, where he first thought of creating a federation of
various national groups to provide better network and resources, which he later took as the concept of the Red Cross.
From
1849 to 1859, he walked on the path of having a successful business career. He became
a general manager in a branch of his employer in Tunis, Algeria. He
even established his own prospering enterprise. But, in 1859 he had a business trip in
Italy, where he made a stop in Castiglione and witnessed something that changed
his life's path.
Few
miles from Castiglione, the Franco-Sardinian army clashed with Austrian forces
in the Battle of Solferino. The battle ended with huge casualties for both side, so much so French public opinion soured forcing Napoleon III to end the war. The
wounded suffered further in their agony from the awful treatment that their
respective armies gave. The dying and wounded failed to receive any treatment and could only anguish in horrible pain. The absence of
properly trained nurses and doctors, shortage of medicine and other medical
supplies, and lack of clean and safe hospitals plagued the after battle
situation. The condition deeply affected Dunant, who then assisted in tending
the wounded, forming a group of volunteers to help. The experience opened his eyes to the horrors of war and drove him to found a solution to prevent another situation like Solferino.
Laying the Foundations
French Infantry Advance (by Carlo Bossoli) |
Solferino
made Dunant to lessen the same depressing and weakening images of war. But Dunant only pursued to realize his goal after finishing properly
his work in Algeria; besides, he needed the money from his work and business
for his advocacy. In 1862, Dunant made his experience of the Battle of Solferino and his proposals known with
the publication of his book titled A Memory of
Solferino.
The
book became widely published, with multiple translation produced and
distributed. It aimed to widely knock onto the hearts of many to show the grim
effects of war and especially the ill-managed treatment of the helpless,
wounded, weak, and sick. The work, however, did not only opened eyes to the horrors but showed hope with a proposal in reducing such scenes in the conclusion of his book. Dunant
made his suggestion in form of a question:
“Would it not be possible, in time of peace and quiet, to form relief societies for the purpose of having care given to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers?”
He
added further the nature of the society he envisioned:
“Societies of this kind, once formed and their permanent existence assured, would naturally remain inactive in peacetime. But would be always organized and ready for possibility of war.”
Dunant,
however, knew the daunting task ahead. Such society with humanitarian aims needed the
assistance and recognition of major European powers, which were responsible in the balance of war and peace in the continent. He needed to convince and pledge in the support of major European governments either by arousing public opinion
or by making an audience with the royals and their governments. But
before this, he first needed a network of support, a launching pad, which he got from within his
hometown of Geneva.
International Standing Commission for Aid to Wounded
Soldiers
In
February 9, 1863, Dunant lectured to the Geneva Society of Public Utility. The
lecture went well when the head of the society Gustav Moynier shared Dunant’s
enthusiasm and supported his cause. Two other accomplished figure of Geneva, a
physician, Dr. Louis Appia, and the city councilor, Adolph Ador, also supported
Dunant. The 4 of them established a council known as the International
Standing Commission for Aid to Wounded Soldiers, the precursor of the
International Committee of the Red Cross. However, the four of them knew that
in order to succeed, they needed to enlist the support of a nationally acclaimed
personality to be a part or even stand as the leader of the commission. Dunant proposed
Guillaume Henri Dufour, an accomplished general and politician, who then accepted the leadership, resulting to
the establishment of the committee that served as the founding fathers of Red
Cross.
Gaining Support
From
March until August, the Committee rallied support to their cause. Dunant
traveled throughout Europe to campaign for the society, most especially in
Paris – the capital of the accepted continental power France. Getting France’s
pledge would influence other European countries to follow.
The
Committee received enthusiastic support from the people, much to the credit of
the broadening view on the horrors of war. The growth of journalism,
communication, and transportation allowed faster and wider distribution of
information. News of the atrocious situation during the Crimean War in the
early 1850’s already disheartened multitudes. Stories of dedication and care of
Florence Nightingale and Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna to the
wounded and the fallen offered warmth to the hearts of men and women, contributing to the raising of awareness to humanitarianism. Reports of further large scale
casualties and deplorable treatment of the wounded during the Indian Mutiny of
1857 and off course the Battle of Solferino led to public outrage. The French
public even forced Emperor Napoleon III to cease hostilities after news of
Solferino spread. As a result, the idea of a society dedicated to the
unfortunates of war were widely accepted as necessary and supported.
By
second half of 1863, the Committee planned the establishment of the desired
society with a congress in September 1863. However, they later abandoned the
plan due to lack of preparation and stronger support from various governments
of Europe.
Dunant
then informed the Committee of his plan to attend the International Statistical
Congress in Berlin in September 1863. He also took his attendance as an
opportunity to get the support of another powerful continental power – Prussia.
Indeed, Dunant received wonderful support from the Germans and attendees of the Congress. He even received the pledge of support from King
Wilhelm I, his family, and government. The Prussian government even suggested
to Dunant the idea of making his planned society to be neutral during
conflicts, to which the Swiss considered seriously. Dunant also traveled to other German cities and visited their rulers, gaining
their support along the way.
Geneva Conference of 1863
After
Dunant attended the Congress in Berlin, the Committee then planned a conference
for the needs of their society, which they held on October 26, 1863. 14 representatives from
different European nations attended the conference, more sent their support via
letter read during the event. The Geneva Conference laid out the requirements of the society:
- the creation of a central committee to lead the association of different national societies.
- the coordination of central committee and various national societies with their respective government in preparing supplies, training nurses and volunteers, and setting up of hospitals.
- the adoption of a sign or mark that distinguishes the society’s neutrality in times of conflict.
- the recognition of major powers of the neutral status of the society and its volunteers.
The
conference ended well and the Committee planned to achieve it.
In
November, 1863, Dunant began his quest to get the needs of the society to be
formally recognized by the international community. He went to Paris to gain the
formal support of French Emperor Napoleon III.
The French Emperor received Dunant well and presented him with a way to officially make the outcomes of Geneva Conference into a formal and recognized convention. Napoleon had his foreign minister ask the Federal Republic of Switzerland to send invitations to countries for a convention on the establishment of Dunant's proposed society. France then accepted the invitation that influenced other European countries to join. And with Prussia that rivaled France in continental influence also showed their interest and support, it helped in gaining the support of other German principalities to join in the planned convention. By June 6, 1864, Switzerland sent the invitation for the Convention to be held between August 8 and 22 in the city of Geneva, a venue requested by Dunant and agreed upon as a veil of respect.
The French Emperor received Dunant well and presented him with a way to officially make the outcomes of Geneva Conference into a formal and recognized convention. Napoleon had his foreign minister ask the Federal Republic of Switzerland to send invitations to countries for a convention on the establishment of Dunant's proposed society. France then accepted the invitation that influenced other European countries to join. And with Prussia that rivaled France in continental influence also showed their interest and support, it helped in gaining the support of other German principalities to join in the planned convention. By June 6, 1864, Switzerland sent the invitation for the Convention to be held between August 8 and 22 in the city of Geneva, a venue requested by Dunant and agreed upon as a veil of respect.
The Geneva Congress and Convention
Signing of the Geneva Convention in 1864 |
On
that note, they decided the mark to be today’s recognizable Red Cross. The Red
Cross was chosen in respect to the country hosting the congress – Switzerland.
Its flag, the white cross in a red field was inverted to be a red cross in a
white field. Coincidentally, it also had a cross, which in Europe, a symbol of Christianity but also of mercy, compassion, and kindness.
From
that point, Dunant’s committee worked to oversee an organization of different
national Red Cross societies, first in Europe and later, throughout the world.
The Geneva Convention also evolved through the following decades, as
improvements and developments allowed.
Impact of the Red
Cross
The
Red Cross served its purpose well and expanded to incorporate new countries and
new situations to assist.
From
11 signatories in the Geneva Convention and established respective national Red
Cross organizations, it grew to cover 196 countries and the convention had
amendments and today included 64 articles from 10. The Red Cross also
inspired the establishment of other societies, like the Red Crescent.
For
its works, it had the first major taste of battle during the Franco-Prussian War. It
did not participate much in the Seven Weeks’ War because Austria did not sign
the Geneva Convention. Only when the two first major European powers who
supported the Red Cross’ foundation fought did the full capability of the
organization was unveiled.
Since
then, images of battlefield changed. No armies fought each other without the
Red Cross and their sister organization working in the sidelines, tending to
the wounded, the sick, and even civilians. Now, medical teams of the Red Cross even shows activeness in helping victims of disasters. Their actions made their sign and
those that followed as beacons of hope and sanctuary in face of terrible
situations.
As
for the main progenitor of the Red Cross, however, the organization took its
toll. Henri Dunant’s concentration to the society and its expensive undertaking
ruined his business. He fell into debt and lived in poverty for decades.
He was forgotten until the last years of the 19th century, when Europe
discovered his situation, and movements began to help him. Europe and the world
commemorated Dunant further in 1901, when he received the first Nobel Peace
Prize along with the French economist and pacifist Frederic Passy. But even
with this, Dunant remained in poverty until he passed away on October 30, 1910.
The
story of Dunant, however, did not reflect that of the Red Cross. The Red Cross,
his greatest legacy, helped million throughout the years, and will continue to
help more those in need, regardless of the dangers they faced.
Bibliography:
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
Muller, Rudolf. "History of the Origin of the Red Cross and of the Geneva Convention." The Advocate of Peace, Volume 59. URL: https://archive.org/details/jstor-25751030
Bibliography:
Barton, Clara. The Red Cross in Peace and War. American Historical Press, 1899. https://archive.org/stream/redcrossinpea00bart#page/n5/mode/2up
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
Muller, Rudolf. "History of the Origin of the Red Cross and of the Geneva Convention." The Advocate of Peace, Volume 59. URL: https://archive.org/details/jstor-25751030
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