Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902

This article explores contestations over what constituted medical personnel, hospitals, and ambulances during the South African War (1899 – 1902). It shows that Boer fighters and British soldiers held differing conceptions of what constituted medical 'neutrality' and the meaning of the 186...

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Main Author: Brazil, L
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: University of Pennsylvania Press 2024
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author Brazil, L
author_facet Brazil, L
author_sort Brazil, L
collection OXFORD
description This article explores contestations over what constituted medical personnel, hospitals, and ambulances during the South African War (1899 – 1902). It shows that Boer fighters and British soldiers held differing conceptions of what constituted medical 'neutrality' and the meaning of the 1864 Geneva Convention. Analysing their contests over 'neutrality', it shows their diverse legal understandings were influenced by pre-existing medical cultures, the nature of guerrilla conflict, and British portrayals of the Boers as 'uncivilised' and so outside the realm of international law. These contests shaped the provision of medical relief on the ground in South Africa and generated international legal changes which echoed through later warfare.
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spelling oxford-uuid:5d9cceaa-a108-40cf-8370-7e1cad6019dd2024-05-10T08:48:02ZNeutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:5d9cceaa-a108-40cf-8370-7e1cad6019ddEnglishSymplectic ElementsUniversity of Pennsylvania Press2024Brazil, LThis article explores contestations over what constituted medical personnel, hospitals, and ambulances during the South African War (1899 – 1902). It shows that Boer fighters and British soldiers held differing conceptions of what constituted medical 'neutrality' and the meaning of the 1864 Geneva Convention. Analysing their contests over 'neutrality', it shows their diverse legal understandings were influenced by pre-existing medical cultures, the nature of guerrilla conflict, and British portrayals of the Boers as 'uncivilised' and so outside the realm of international law. These contests shaped the provision of medical relief on the ground in South Africa and generated international legal changes which echoed through later warfare.
spellingShingle Brazil, L
Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902
title Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902
title_full Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902
title_fullStr Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902
title_full_unstemmed Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902
title_short Neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law: Red Cross men in the South African War, 1899-1902
title_sort neutrality as a contested concept in international humanitarian law red cross men in the south african war 1899 1902
work_keys_str_mv AT brazill neutralityasacontestedconceptininternationalhumanitarianlawredcrossmeninthesouthafricanwar18991902