As the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles approaches, this book presents the pre-1914 precursors to the interwar naval arms treaties arising from the peace of 1919, providing a fresh perspective on arms control efforts through an interdisciplinary approach.

Introduction.- Chapter 1 Arms Control Antecedents in the Nineteenth Century.- Armaments Competition and National Interest in the Nineteenth Century.- The Anglo-French Naval Declarations of 1787.- Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817.- Black Sea Neutralization of 1856.- St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868 – “Explosive Missals”.- Customary Limits on Armaments.- International Law and Security in the Nineteenth Century.- Conclusion.- Chapter 2 International Law in the Nineteenth Century.- The Declaration of London 1871.- The Context of International Law.- Scholars and Official Law.- Sources of Law and Non-binding Agreements.- The Function of International Law: “An Obstacle though not a Barrier”.- Law’s Function in Increasing Predictability.- Law’s Function in Communicating Vital Interests.- Law’s Function in Strengthening Mutual Interests.- Enforcement of Legal Obligations and Expectations of War.- Legal Enforcement and International Order.- Conclusion.- Chapter 3 The First Hague Peace Conference.- Introduction.- International Law and General Disarmament.- Calling of the Hague Conference of 1899.- British Preparation for the Hague Conference.- British Naval Armament Limitation Offer to Russia.- Great Britain and Disarmament at The Hague.- Land Armaments at The Hague.- General Limitation Debates at The Hague.- Naval Armaments at The Hague.- Armaments Declarations at The Hague.- Conclusion.- Chapter 4 Naval Arms Control and Regional Negotiations: Precedents, Issues, and Implications.- Argentine-Chilean Naval Arms Race.- The Pacts of May.- The Pacts of May and Regional Competition.- Revision of the Rush-Bagot Agreement.- Naval Arms Control in the New Century: Precedents and Implications.- Conclusion.- Chapter 5 Preparations for the Second Hague Peace Conference.- Introduction.- The Russo-Japanese War and the Hague Agenda.- Diplomacy Prior to the Second Hague Peace Conference.- The Walton Committee and the Hague Agenda.- The Walton Committee and Naval Armaments.- Conclusion.- Chapter 6 The Second Hague Peace Conference.- Introduction.- The Second Hague Peace Conference Proceedings.- The Arms Limitation Resolution.- Balloons and Aerial Bombardment.- Submarine Mines.- Conversion of Merchant Ships into Warships.- Conclusion.- Chapter 7 International Law and Armaments, 1900-1914.- Introduction.- International Law and Popular Perception of Arms Limitation up to 1907.- Scholars and the International Law of Arms Limitation, 1900-1914.- The London Conference of 1908-1909.- Aerial Warfare and Preparations for the Third Hague Peace Conference.- Conclusion.- Chapter 8 The Dreadnought Competition and Arms Control up to 1914.- Introduction.- Anglo-German Naval Arms Negotiations 1908-1914.- Global Naval Arms Competition and International Law.- Exchange of Information Negotiations.- The Naval Holiday and Informal Arms Control.- Conclusion.- Bibliography.

As the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles approaches, this book presents the pre-1914 precursors to the interwar naval arms treaties arising from the peace of 1919, providing a fresh perspective on arms control efforts through an interdisciplinary approach. Interweaving historical investigation with legal analysis, Scott Keefer traces the British role in the development of naval arms control, outlining the pragmatic Foreign Office approaches towards international law. By emphasizing what was possible within the existing legal system rather than attempting to create radically powerful international institutions, statesmen crafted treaties to exploit the unique pace of naval construction. Utilizing previously-overlooked archival resources, this book investigates how the great powers exploited treaties as elements of national security strategies. The result is a fuller analysis of the Hague Peace Conferences, Anglo-German discussions, and lesser known regional agreements from the American Great Lakes to South America, and a richer exploration of pre-1914 diplomacy, providing insights into how a past generation perceived questions of war and defence.  

Presents a fresh perspective on arms control efforts prior to the First World War Explores a key aspect of pre-war diplomacy studies Uncovers the ambitions of statesmen to advance national interests through treaties

GPSR Compliance The European Union's (EU) General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a set of rules that requires consumer products to be safe and our obligations to ensure this. If you have any concerns about our products you can contact us on ProductSafety@springernature.com. In case Publisher is established outside the EU, the EU authorized representative is: Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH Europaplatz 3 69115 Heidelberg, Germany ProductSafety@springernature.com