Hitler's Crimes: Breaking International Laws

Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, also known as the Nazi Party, broke several international laws during his time in power. One of the most notable breaches was the violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which limited the size of Germany's army and prohibited the annexation of certain territories. Hitler also oversaw and ordered war crimes, including the Holocaust, the use of chemical weapons, and the invasion of neutral nations. These actions were in contravention of established international laws and treaties, such as the 1899 Hague Declaration, the 1907 Hague Convention, and the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration and 1907 Hague Convention: use of poison gas

The 1899 Hague Declaration and the 1907 Hague Convention were among the first international treaties and declarations to address the conduct of warfare and war crimes. The Declaration and Convention were negotiated at two international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands. The Declaration and Convention were also among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in the body of secular international law.

The Declaration concerning the Prohibition of the Use of Projectiles with the Sole Object to Spread Asphyxiating Poisonous Gases was part of the 1899 Hague Convention. The Declaration states that, in any war between signatory powers, the parties will abstain from using projectiles "the sole object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases". This was ratified by all major powers, except the United States.

The 1907 Hague Convention included a convention concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. This convention confirmed, with minor modifications, the provisions of the 1899 Convention. All major powers ratified it. The convention explicitly forbade the use of "poison or poisoned weapons".

During World War I, which broke out less than 20 years after the signing of the Hague Conventions, chemical weapons were used extensively by all sides. This use of chemical weapons was a war crime as it was in direct violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration and the 1907 Hague Convention.

The use of poison gas by Hitler's forces during World War II was therefore a violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration and the 1907 Hague Convention. The use of poison gas during World War II was also a war crime.

Violation of the 1907 Hague Convention: invasion of Belgium

The invasion of Belgium by Germany in 1914 was one of the first acts of World War I, and it was also one of the first violations of the Hague Conventions, a series of international treaties and declarations that were among the first to outline the laws of war and war crimes. The 1907 Hague Convention, in particular, built upon the 1899 version, with a greater focus on naval warfare.

The invasion of Belgium was a clear violation of the neutrality that was guaranteed to Belgium by the 1907 Convention. The Convention stated that "the territory of neutral powers is inviolable", and that "belligerents are bound to respect the sovereign rights of neutral powers". However, Germany's invasion of Belgium meant that the country lost its neutral status and became a belligerent, as outlined in the Convention.

The German invasion of Belgium was part of a strategy to outflank France. This violation of Belgian neutrality was a significant moment in the lead-up to World War I, as it brought the UK into the conflict, due to a mutual defence agreement with Belgium. The German invasion of neutral Luxembourg and Belgium in 1914 was a clear breach of the 1907 Convention, which stated that belligerents could not violate or move troops through neutral territories.

The 1907 Hague Convention was largely based on the Lieber Code, which was issued by US President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. The Lieber Code was the first official, comprehensive law that set out regulations for behaviour in times of martial law, including the protection of civilians and civilian property, the treatment of prisoners of war, and the punishment of transgressions. The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 were the first multilateral treaties to address the conduct of warfare, and they continue to stand as symbols of the need for restrictions on war and the avoidance of war altogether.

Violation of the 1907 Hague Convention: bombing of undefended towns

The 1899 and 1907 Hague Conventions were among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in secular international law. The 1907 Hague Convention IV – The Laws and Customs of War on Land, and IX – Bombardment by Naval Forces in Time of War prohibited the bombardment of undefended places.

Article 25 of the 1907 Hague Convention IV states:

> The attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited.

Article 26 of the same convention states:

> The officer in command of an attacking force must, before commencing a bombardment, except in cases of assault, do all in his power to warn the authorities.

Article 27 adds:

> In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken to spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to religion, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not being used at the time for military purposes. It is the duty of the besieged to indicate the presence of such buildings or places by distinctive and visible signs, which shall be notified to the enemy beforehand.

Despite these laws, Hitler's forces bombed undefended towns during World War II. For example, the German bombings of Guernica and Durango in Spain in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 attracted worldwide condemnation. Throughout World War II, cities like Chongqing, Warsaw, Rotterdam, London, Coventry, Stalingrad, Hamburg, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki suffered aerial bombardment, causing untold numbers of destroyed buildings and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

Violation of the 1907 Hague Convention: collective punishment of civilians

The 1907 Hague Convention, along with the Geneva Conventions, was among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in the body of secular international law. The 1907 Hague Convention was the second such conference, building on the first in 1899, and resulted in conventions containing only a few major advancements from the 1899 Convention. The 1907 Convention did, however, confirm and expand on the 1899 Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, which included the creation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The 1907 Hague Convention also included Convention IV, Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, which, along with the 1899 Convention, prohibits the collective punishment of civilians. Article 50 of the 1907 Convention states that:

> No general penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for which they cannot be regarded as jointly and severally responsible.

During World War II, Nazi Germany carried out many forms of collective punishment to suppress and deter any resistance. From the perspective of the Nazis, the primary goal of their actions might have been to discourage or avert certain types of behaviour among the population of the territories they had occupied. However, arbitrary and indiscriminate sanctions were unanimously considered a form of collective punishment.

The 1949 Geneva Convention IV, which built on the 1907 Hague Convention, also includes a prohibition of collective punishment. Article 33 states:

> No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.

Violation of the Treaty of Versailles: rearmament of Germany

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June 1919, was a peace treaty that officially ended World War I. The treaty was signed in the Palace of Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which had led to the war.

The treaty imposed strict conditions on Germany, including disarmament, territorial concessions, extradition of war criminals, and reparations. One of the key provisions of the treaty was the disarmament of the German military. Articles 159-163 of the treaty reduced the size of the German army to just 100,000 troops and imposed strict limits on the number of infantry, artillery, and engineers. The treaty also limited the German navy and prohibited the country from having an air force.

Despite these restrictions, Adolf Hitler proceeded to violate the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany. Hitler defied the treaty's provisions by rebuilding the country's military strength and pursuing a policy of rearmament. This violation of the treaty was a significant step towards World War II.

In addition to rearming Germany, Hitler also defied other provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. He remilitarized the Rhineland, joining Austria in a union, and invaded Poland, which ultimately led to the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

The Treaty of Versailles was intended to weaken Germany and prevent it from posing a future threat. However, the harsh terms of the treaty contributed to the rise of nationalism and populism in Germany, ultimately leading to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. The violation of the treaty by Hitler demonstrated his disregard for international agreements and set the stage for further aggression and conflict.

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