Humanitarian intervention in the long nineteenth century : setting the precedent / Alexia Heraclides and Ada Dialla.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heraclides, Alexis.

Contributor:

Dialla, Anta.

Series:

Humanitarianism (Series)

Humanitarianism : key debates and new approaches

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Humanitarian intervention--History--19th century.

Humanitarian intervention.

Humanitarian intervention--Case studies.

History.

Genre:

Case studies.

History.

Physical Description:

xi, 253 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2015.

Summary:

During the course of the long nineteenth century, a precedent was set for the theory and practice of humanitarian intervention that is still influencing the current debate on this controversial concept. This volume provides a comprehensive presentation of the development of humanitarian theories in international law and international political theory, and assesses four nineteenth-century case studies, linking them to the ongoing theoretical arguments, with an emphasis on the lesser-known Russian dimension. The book starts with a brief overview of the current situation, and goes on to present a genealogy of the idea of assisting people who are maltreated. The concept is first found in the Renaissance, and was followed by the nineteenth-century civilization-barbarity dichotomy, with its biased Eurocentric gaze. The authors then examine the pivotal international law dimension, the arguments of advocates and opponents of humanitarian intervention, and the views of major political theorists. The second part of the book examines in detail four instances of humanitarian intervention; the Greek war (1821-31); the Lebanon/Syria ethnic conflict (1860-61); the Bulgarian case (1876-78), with emphasis on the role of Britain and Russia; and US intervention in Cuba (1895-98). The book will be of benefit to scholars and students of international relations, international history, international law, international political theory and ethics in international politics. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Humanitarian intervention today 1

Part I Theory Introduction 11

2 The origins of the idea of humanitarian intervention: just war and against tyranny 14

3 Eurocentrism, 'civilization' and the 'barbarians' 31

4 International law and humanitarian intervention 57

5 Intervention and non-intervention in international political theory 81

Part II Practice

Introduction 101

6 Intervention in the Greek War of Independence, 1821-32 105

7 Intervention in Lebanon and Syria, 1860-61 134

8 The Bulgarian atrocities: a bird's eye view of intervention with emphasis on Britain, 1875-78 148

9 The Balkan crisis of 1875-78 and Russia: between humanitarianism and pragmatism 169

10 The US and Cuba, 1895-98 197

Part III Conclusion

11 Assessment 225.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-240) and index.

ISBN:

9780719089909

0719089905

OCLC:

895729463