How Hostilities Have Ended: Peace Treaties and Alternatives

On the basis of tables in the author's A Study of War, the number of wars terminated by treaties of peace, unconditional surrender, unilateral declaration, or general recognition is indicated. The formalities of traditional inter national law for beginning, waging, and ending war were observed to occur increasingly after the seventeenth century, and to reach a high point in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The radical change in conditions, owing to modern technology, convinced statesmen during World War I that changes in international law and organization were necessary. But neither the Covenant of the League of Na tions nor the Charter of the United Nations has been suc cessful in preventing or terminating hostilities. No peace treaties have been made since World War II, and the thirty- four hostilities of sufficient magnitude to be called war since 1945 have been ended temporarily by armistice or cease-fire, and more permanently by a recognition of independence or political change, in some cases with assistance by the United Nations. Two, however, remain active, and others dormant. Abandonment of the system of power politics and strengthening of international organization is necessary if peace is to be established.