While the origins of the modern system of international law can be traced back 400 years, the development of the concepts and practises that would underpin that system can be traced back to ancient historical politics and relationships thousands of years old. Important concepts are derived from the practice between Greek city-states and the Roman law concept of ius gentium, which regulated contacts between Roman citizens and non-Roman people. These principles were not universal however. In East Asia, political theory was based not on the equality of States, but rather the cosmological supremacy of the Sovereign, that is the emperor of China.
The Peace Palace Library has an impressive old and rare books collection of 10.000 titles printed before 1850. Since 1913 the Library has acquired a historical legal collection representing the various periods of thinking about international law, dominated by the Spanish, French or English schools. Writers from the 16th century: Jean Bodin, Ayala, Vitoria, the 17th century: Hugo Grotius, Gentili, Pufendorf, Zouche, and 18th century: Bynkershoek, Wolff, Martens, Vattel, and 19th century Bluntschli, to name only a few. In total about 2400 authors represent the origins of international law. Modern authors on the history of international law refer to these sources for their research.
This Research Guide is intended as a starting point for research in the field of the History of International Law. It provides the basic materials available in the Peace Palace Library, both in print and electronic format. Handbooks, leading articles, bibliographies, periodicals, serial publications and documents of interest are presented in the Selective Bibliography section. Links to the PPL Catalogue are inserted. The Library's subject heading (keyword) History of International Law is instrumental for searching through the Catalogue. Special attention is given to our subscriptions on databases, e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. Finally, this Research Guide features links to relevant websites and other online resources of particular interest.
Sources
- Grewe, W.G. (ed.), Fontes Historiae Iuris Gentium, Berlin, De Gruyter, 3 Volumes in 4 Books, 1988-1995:
Bd. 1, 1380 v. Chr./B.C. - 1493
Bd. 2, 1493-1815
Bd. 3.1, 1815-1945
Bd. 3.2, 1815-1945
Reference works
- Benham, J., International Law in Europe, 700-1200, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2022.
- Beneyto, José María. Historia Del Derecho Internacional Público : Una Aproximación Global. Tecnos, 2022.
- Casella, Paulo B. International Law, History, and Culture. Brill/Nijhoff, 2024.
- Craven, Matthew, and Malgosia Fitzmaurice. Time, History and International Law. Nijhoff, 2007.
- Lesaffer, Randall, and Anne Peters (eds). The Cambridge History of International Law. Cambridge University Press, 13 Volumes, 2024:
Volume I The Historiography of International Law
Volume II International Law in Asia
Volume III International Law in Africa, the Americas and Oceania
Volume IV International Law in the Middle East and the Mediterranean during Antiquity
Volume V International Law in Medieval Europe
Volume VI International Law in Early Modern Europe
Volume VII Western International Law (1775-1870)
Volume VIII International Law in the Islamic World
Volume IX International Law in the Age of Empire (1870-1920)
Volume X International Law at the Time of the League of Nations (1920-1945)
Volume XI International Law during the Cold War (1945-1990)
Volume XII International Law beyond the Cold War
Volume XIII The Development of International Law
- Fassbender, B. and A. Peters (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the History of International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2012.
- Gaurier, Histoire du droit international: de l'Antiquité à la création de l'UNO, Rennes, Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2014.
- Grewe, W.G., The Epochs of International Law, Berlin; New York, Walter de Gruyter, 2000.
- Johnston, Douglas Millar. The Historical Foundations of World Order : The Tower and the Arena. Nijhoff, 2008.
- Neff, S.C., Justice among Nations: A History of International Law, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2014.
- Nussbaum, A Concise History of the Law of Nations, revised edition, New York, NY, Macmillan, 1954.
- Orakhelashvili, A. (ed.), Research Handbook on the Theory and History of International Law, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2011.
- Reibstein, E. von, Völkerrecht: eine Geschichte seiner Ideen in Lehre und Praxis, Freiburg, Alber, 1957-1963.
- Truyol y Serra, A., Histoire du droit international public, Paris, Economica, 1995.
- Verzijl, J.H.W. (et al.), International Law in Historical Perspective. Leyden [etc.], A.W. Sijthoff {etc.], 12 Volumes, 1968-1998:
Volume I General Subjects
Volume II International Persons
Volume III State Territory
Volume IV Stateless Domain
Volume V Nationality and Other Matters relating to Individuals
Volume VI Juridical Facts as Sources of International Rights and Obligations
Volume VII State Succession
Volume VIII Inter-State Disputes and Their Settlement
Volume IX (Part IX-A) The Laws of War
Volume X (Part IX-B) The Law of Neutrality
Volume XI (Part IX-C) The Law of Maritime Prize
Volume XII Index
Recent books and peer-reviewed articles
- Karr, S.L., Jus Gentium in Humanist Jurisprudence: On Justice and Right, Leiden; Boston, Brill, 2022.
- Research Handbook on the Theory and History of International Law, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, Second Edition, 2020.
- Schröder, P. (ed.), Concepts and Contexts of Vattel's Political and Legal Thought, Cambridge; New York, Cambridge University Press, 2021.
- Tang, Chenxi. Imagining World Order : Literature and International Law in Early Modern Europe, 1500-1800. Cornell University Press, 2018.
For all peer-reviewed articles in the PPL Catalogue, click here.
Periodicals, serial publications
- Fundamina: A Journal of Legal History
- Journal of the History of International Law
- The Legal History Review
Bibliographies
- MacAlister-Smith, P., "Bio-Bibliographical Key to Membership of the Institut de Droit International, 1873-2001", Journal of the History of International Law, 5 (2003), No. 1, pp. 77-159.
- MacAlister-Smith, P. and J. Schwietzke, "Bibliography of the Textbooks and Comprehensive Treatises on Positive International Law of the 19th Century", Journal of the History of International Law, 3 (2001), No. 1, pp. 75-142.
- MacAlister-Smith, P. and J. Schwietzke, "Literature and Documentary Sources relating to the History of Public International Law: an Annotated Bibliography Survey", Journal of the History of International Law, 1 (1999), No. 2, pp. 136-212.
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
- Katz, Stanley N. (ed.), The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History. Oxford University Press, 2009:
Volume I Abbasid Dynasty-Cicero
Volume II Citizenship-European Union, Private Law in
Volume III Evidence-Labor and Employment Law
Volume IV Land-Provincial Edicts and Government
Volume V Prussian Allgemeines Landrecht-Torture
Volume VI Training-Zivilgesetzbuch; Topical Outline of Contents; Directory of Contributors; Index of Legal Cases; Index
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, History of International Law, Basic Questions and Principles, by Wolfgang Preiser.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, History of International Law, Ancient Times to 1648, by Wolfgang Preiser.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, History of International Law, 1648 to 1825, by Stephan Verosta.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, History of International Law, 1815 to World War I, by Hans-Ulrich Scupin.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, History of International Law, since World War II, by Martti Koskenniemi.
- Documents from Medieval and Early Modern England from the National Archives in London
- The 1582 edition of the Corpus Juris Canonici put online by UCLA's Charles E. Young Research Library
- English Medieval Legal Documents AD 600 - AD 1535: A Compilation of Published Sources. Prepared by Hazel D. Lord
- Harvard Resarch Guide Rare Books & Early manuscripts
- The History of International Law Today Published in Rechtsgeschichte, 2004 Martti Koskenniemi
- Internet Medieval Sourcebook: Medieval Legal History The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is now part of ORB, the Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
- Legal Portraits Online
- Roman and Secular Law in the Middle Ages, by Kenneth Pennington
- Roman Law Resources Edited by Ernest Metzger
- The Timetable of World Legal History
- Website of the Program in the History and Theory of International Law , Institute for International Law and Justice, New York University School of Law