Handbook

The course will provide a foundational introduction to international law, an overview ofinternational humanitarian law, and the legal obligations that these bodies of law impose on states and armed forces prior to and during conflict. Beginning with a survey of the laws governing territorial disputes and the use of force, the course reviews the historical development of international humanitarian law, its key obligations, and the debate surrounding its creation. It then surveys a series of related ethical, legal and operational challenges raised by new forms of conflict and military operations including counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism, stability and reconstruction operations, humanitarian interventions and complex emergencies, conventional war-fighting, and air operations. Rather than narrowly treating ethical issues in terms of legal obligations, it explores how ethical questions have become central to strategic success.