Avoid disaster and horror
Officially, the idea of a peace conference was first formulated in a circular dated August 12 (on the Gregorian calendar – 24) 1898, issued by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire, Count Muravyov. According to the document, the burden of military expenditures does not allow peoples to live due to the waste of their moral and physical strength, labor and capital.
The circular states, “Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on the acquisition of dreadful means of destruction, which today seem to be the last word of science, which tomorrow must lose all their value because of new inventions.”
In this context, the authors of the document suggested that the “greatest catastrophe” be averted and an end to the perpetual arms race.
“If such a situation continues, it will lead to fatal disaster, before the horror of which a person’s thought precedes,” Muravyov wrote.
He added that Nicholas II had instructed him to apply to foreign governments with a proposal to hold a peace conference that “could be a good omen for the next century.”
High ideals or a diplomatic move
Nicholas II’s attempt at peace had rational reasons. At the end of the 19th century, Russia was far behind the developed Western countries (England, Germany, France, USA) in the development of economy and technology.
The arms race consumed a quarter of the Russian budget, and despite the costs, the Russian navy’s backlog from the British and Germans could be considered insurmountable.
Almost every Russian finance minister since the 1880s has pointed out that such massive inefficient spending is incompatible with the development of the economy.
Ivan Bliokh’s book “The Future War and Its Economic Consequences” made a great impression on the emperor. In this work, the author argued that due to increased firepower, cavalry and bayonet attacks during hostilities would not be able to break through the defense of the enemy, and the battle would become positional. This will turn into a struggle of attrition, which will turn into famine, epidemics, revolutions.
Also XIX. The mentality of the people of the 20th century was different from the modern one. Nicholas II was a religious man and saw his power as a God-given mandate. The tsar was often called weak-willed and narrow-minded, but he was never cynical. The military culture of the 19th century adopted a chivalrous attitude towards the enemy, and war, if inevitable, was viewed as bad. The text of the 12 August circular is certainly idealistic and diplomatic, but it cannot be considered as an attempt to deceive Western states and mask the country’s weakness.
Mixed reaction to the idea of Russia
The idea of a peace conference in the West was initially hostile. The radical left, represented by the leaders of the Socialist International, saw Russia as a purely predatory colonial empire, therefore viewed its proposal as a cover for populism and future aggression.
Kaiser Wilhelm II was sure that Russia had “already reached its limit” and was running out of money. The mood of Wilhelm II is connected with the dissatisfaction of the German Empire with its position in the world at the end of the 19th century. The Germans planned to change their situation through war and acquire new colonies. At the same time, even in military-minded Germany, the conference had its supporters. It was supported by the Social Democratic Party and German pacifists represented in the Reichstag.
“In January 1899, my husband and I traveled to Berlin to agitate for a so-called crusade or to organize an event to support the forthcoming conference. Our first visit was to Russian Ambassador Osten-Saken. <…> by the peoples
followed by enthusiasm that the author of the document can count on. How?! He (emperor. – socialbites.ca) urges the rulers to reduce the spending burden that is already pressing on the shoulders of the peoples and proposes to start looking for funds to prevent a catastrophe that threatens the whole world, ”wrote the Austrian writer and future Nobel Prize laureate, Baroness of the Peace Prize Bertha von Sutner.
Finally, many states welcomed the idea of cutting military spending. For example, relatively poor countries such as Italy and Austria-Hungary and Russia could not stand the arms race.
As a result, the initiative of the Russian Tsar was supported. The venue of the conference was the Netherlands, a country that at that time was striving for neutrality. The Forum started on May 18, 1899, and it was the end of World War II. It was timed to coincide with Nicholas’ 31st birthday. One of the Russian delegates was Bliokh, who wrote a book about the consequences of a future war. A total of 26 countries participated in the negotiations, including Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, England, USA, Japan and China.
The foundation of international justice
During the conference, international lawyers described three main ways of preventing wars: obtaining a goodwill agreement, using intermediaries, and resorting to arbitration. Discussion of the moratorium on increasing military spending and banning the development of more powerful gunpowder and explosives were on the agenda. The lack of any talk about disarmament disappointed the pacifists.
In general, II. It was not possible to achieve the goal set by Nicholas and reduce military spending, the results of the forum turned out to be extremely modest.
The main result was the prohibition of dropping explosives (“dum-dum”) and chemical projectiles, as well as bombs from balloons and other similar equipment.
The last of these three declarations that would destroy military aviation was never ratified, and the first two became part of international law and are still used in modified form.
At the same time, the Permanent Court of Arbitration was established in The Hague to settle disputes between states. It did not play a significant role in history on its own, but became the prototype of all modern international justice. Today, the chamber is located in the same building as the International Court of Justice.