ABSTRACT
Since the year 1863 international law has gradually extended its protection to fresh categories of war victims, as the technique of warfare was perfected. The Geneva Conventions are the basis on which rest the rules of international law for the protection of the victims of armed conflicts. The Geneva Convention is one of the shrewdest blows ever struck at war, and the foundation of the Red Cross was nothing less than the condemnation of useless slaughter. The Geneva Convention for the Relief of Sick and Wounded Combatants was concluded in 1864; it was the first great victory of the Red Cross over war. Hitherto, the Geneva Conventions have dealt chiefly with war victims under Red Cross protection, and with the red cross as a distinctive emblem; very few references are made to the Red Cross in its capacity as a relief agency.
