Patrick O'Brian Discussion Forum

There are treaties and treaties.

The Last of the True French Short Bastards
ewadams@designersnotebook.com


If Germany abrogates a mutual assistance treaty with Austria, then indeed Austria has no recourse. It's a bilateral treaty and not much can be done about it -- although it's still wrong. However, mutual assistance is pretty simple and bilateral treaties tend to be fragile.

On the other hand, if a group of nations agree collectively to sign certain treaties, AND they provide no get-out clause, AND they provide for sanctions in the event of violations, then if one does break the treaty the others can impose the sanctions, which may include war. It amounts to a pact often found among men as individuals: if I break my promises to you all, you may all punish me. In such cases a nation surrenders a degree of its sovereignty.

We don't allow individual men an absolute right to self-preservation under all circumstances whatsoever; I don't see how de Vattel concocted such a right for nations. In any case, he's 200 years out of date. His self-preservation clause strikes me as the same excuse used for tyranny and imperialist expansion throughout history. We have established higher standards since then.

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