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The development of the idea of peace in the thinking of Henry Dunant*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2010

André Durand
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Extract

Henry Dunant first came up against the problem of war at the battle of Solferino. The impact of the experience remained in his memory for ever and decided the course of his life. Spurred on by a deep repugnance for violence, he then set out on the long road which would lead him to propound ways and means first to protect victims of war, then to restrict the circumstances wherein war could arise, and finally to abolish war altogether. These three approaches—protection, restriction and abolition—complemented each other; they were not alternatives. To Henry Dunant's way of thinking they formed a cohesive system aimed at curbing the excesses of war while at the same time preventing its appearance and eradicating its causes.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 26 , Issue 250 , February 1986 , pp. 16 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1986

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Footnotes

*

This article has been taken from Actes du Collogue Henry Dunant 1985, edited by the Henry Dunant Society, Geneva. We thank the author and the editor for authorizing us to reproduce it here.

References

page 17 note 1 La Charité sur les champs de bataille, Geneva, 1864, p. 6 Google Scholar

page 18 note 1 Proceedings of the International Conference meeting in Geneva on 26, 27, 28 and 29 October 1863. Speech by General Dufour, ICRC Library, No. 3012, p. 5

page 18 note 2 Dunant, Henry to von Suttner, Baroness Bertha, 24 02 1896 Google Scholar, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO Archives

page 19 note 1 Dunant, Henry to DrDaae, Hans, 23 05 1900 Google Scholar, Anders Daae Archives, Oslo

page 19 note 2 Dunant, Henry to von Suttner, Baroness Bertha, 25 03 1896 Google Scholar, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 20 note 1 Dunant, to Müller, Rudolf, 21 08 1900 Google Scholar. Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire de Genève (hereinafter referred to as BPU), Fr. MS 5203. f. 220

page 20 note 2 Dunant, to von Suttner, Bertha, 25 03 1896 Google Scholar, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 20 note 3 See Bertrand, Pierre, Le conflit entre Henry Dunant et les Autorités radicates de Genève Google Scholar (The conflict between Henry Dunant and the radical authorities of Geneva), La Tribune de Genève, 27 08 1963.Google Scholar

page 21 note 1 In a letter to Rudolf Müller, Dunant pointed out that he had never ceased to request that people “who had scruples of conscience about carrying arms—people from all kinds of Christian faiths and sects (…) reject permission to serve in the medical corps”. Stating that he had acquired dual nationality so as no longer to serve in the army he went on: “Through conviction I rejected the soldier's life in 1857–58. And even as far back as 1849 I was an advocate for peace.” (4 September 1900, BPU, Fr. MS 5203, f. 244)

page 23 note 1 Arbitral award was rendered on 14 September 1872. To commemorate the event, the Genevan authorities had a salute fired from the top of the Treille Promenade.

page 24 note 1 “I am enclosing a publication in English dated June 1874 which I drew up and for which I wrote the articles. I was the one who created this little journal in London to promote the spread of humanitarian works by the Universal Alliance founded by me but which no longer exists either in London or in Paris.” Dunant, Henry to DrDaae, Hans, 30 04 1899 Google Scholar, Anders Daae Archives, Oslo.

page 25 note 1 L'Avenir sanglant, BPU, Fr. MS 4557, pp. 51–52 Google Scholar. Quoted by D.C. Mercanton (Mrs Barbey-Mercanton): Henry Dunant, A Memory of Solferino, followed by l'Avenir sanglant, Henry Dunant Institute, Editions l'Age d'Homme, 1969, p. 161 Google Scholar.

page 26 note 1 L'Avenir sanglant, BPU, ms fr 4560, p. 13. Quoted by Mercanton, D.C., op. cit., p. 155.Google Scholar

This text appeared in German in the review Die Waffen nieder, VIth year, 1897, No. 8/9, p. 310 Google Scholar. (See page 30, Note 3.) The second paragraph of the passage quoted above is worded somewhat differently:

“We therefore owe a debt of gratitude to those who are not afraid to speak the truth, who fight against worldwide militarism, against war and its principal cause: chauvinism. Chauvinism fosters hatred among peoples, nations and races. This destructive chauvinism must not be confused with healthy patriotism. Patriotism is love and true devotion; but chauvinism is hate—hateful fanaticism.” (Translated from the German text.)

page 26 note 2 Österreichische Gesellschaft der Friedensfreunde, 1891 Google Scholar

page 27 note 1 von Suttner, Bertha, Die Waffen nieder! Dresden, Leipzig and Vienna, 1889 Google Scholar

page 27 note 2 Dunant, Henry to Dunant, Pierre, 22 07 1892 Google Scholar. BPU, Fr. MS 2115 C, f. 117 (letter incomplete)

page 28 note 1 von Suttner, Bertha to Dunant, Henry, 7 10 1895, BPU, Fr. MS 2112, p. 112 Google Scholar

page 30 note 1 Dunant, Henry to von Suttner, Bertha, 10 10 1895 Google Scholar, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 30 note 2 von Suttner, Bertha to Dunant, Henry, 28 10 1895, BPU, Fr. MS 2112, p. 115 Google Scholar

page 30 note 3 Die Waff en nieder! Monatsschrift zur Förderung der Friedensbewegung. (…) Herausgegeben von Baronin Bertha von Suttner. Die Waff en nieder! published the following:

— Fifth year (1896), No. 9, under the title “An die Presse”, text taken from the manuscript of l'Avenir sanglant (cahier 4, BPU Fr. MS 4560); adapted to the requirements of the periodical, dated Heiden, August 1896. Translation by A.G. von Suttner. Reproduced in Berliner Volkszeitung and, under the title Ein Feuerwort, by Monatliche Extrablätter für Freiheit, Friede und Fortschritt, Bern, 01 1897 Google Scholar.

— Sixth year (1897), Nos 5, 6 and 8/9 of extracts from l'Avenir sanglant, under the title Kleines Arsenal gegen den Militarismus. Translation by Countess Hedwig Potting.

No. 10: Kleines Arsenal gegen den Krieg. Same translator. Reproduced in Monatliche Extrablätter für Freiheit, Friede und Fortschritt, 05 1898 Google Scholar.

See Mercanton, D.C., Dunant, Henry, Essai bio-bibliographique, Nos 42, 43 and 44. Henry Dunant Institute, 1971 Google Scholar.

page 31 note 1 On his 68th birthday the International Peace Bureau sent Henry Dunant the following message: “The philanthropic international Red Cross Institution, due to your initiative, is the precursor of the era of peace which must one day regenerate the world by guaranteeing the well-being of peoples. In the name of the International Peace Bureau, Elie Ducommun, Honorary Secretary.” 7 May 1896, UNO Archives.

page 31 note 2 Henry Dunant to Bertha von Suttner, 6 July 1896, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 32 note 1 von Suttner, Bertha to Dunant, Henry, 18 07 1896, BPU, Fr. MS 2112, p. 122 Google Scholar

page 33 note 1 de Saint-René, Baroness to Dunant, Henry, 30 08 1898, BPU, Fr. MS 2111, p. 303 Google Scholar

page 34 note 1 L'Avenir sanglant, BPU, Fr. MS 4557, p. 11 Google Scholar. Quoted by Mercanton, D.C., op. cit., p. 192 Google Scholar.

page 34 note 2 Dunant, Henry to von Suttner, Bertha, 21 09 1898 Google Scholar, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 35 note 1 Published in German also in the Deutsche Revue, 01 1889 Google Scholar

page 38 note 1 See von Suttner, Bertha, Der Kampf und die Vermeidung des Weltkriegs (1892–1900 und 1907–1914), Herausgegeben von Dr. Alfred H. Fried, I. Band, Zurich 1917, Orell Füssli, p. 525 Google Scholar.

page 38 note 2 von Suttner, Bertha to Dunant, Henry, 9 05 1899, BPU, Fr. MS 2112, p. 145 Google Scholar

page 39 note 1 Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 40 note 1 Item 8 of the Conference agenda was drafted as follows: “Acceptance in principle of the use of offers of services, mediation and optional arbitration for suitable cases, with the aim of preventing conflicts among nations; agreement on how they are to be applied and the establishment of uniform practice in their employment”.

page 40 note 2 Dunant, Henry to von Suttner, Baroness, 18 05 1899 Google Scholar, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO

page 41 note 1 La Croix-Rouge, the Belgian Bulletin of the Universal Alliance, Revue de la Charité internationale sur les champs de bataille et en temps de paix, tenth year, September 1874

page 42 note 1 See the article published in Allgemeen Handelsblatt, Amsterdam, 22 06 1900 Google Scholar. D.C. Mercanton, Henry Dunant, Essai bio-bibliographique. No. 50.

page 43 note 1 Dunant, Henry to DrDaae, Hans, 17 03 1900 Google Scholar, Anders Daae Archives, Oslo

page 43 note 2 L'Avenir sanglant, BPU, ms fr 4560, p. 8 Google Scholar. Mercanton, D.C., op. cit., p. 187 Google Scholar

page 44 note 1 Müller, Rudolf, Entstehungsgeschichte des Roten Kreuzes und der Genfer Konvention mit Unterstützung ihres Begründers J.H. Dunant, Stuttgart, Greiner & Pfeiffer, 1897 Google Scholar

page 45 note 1 See Heudtlass, W., J.H. Dunant and the events leading to the award of the first Nobel Peace Prize, in The International Review of the Red Cross, 06 1964, pp. 283 ff.Google Scholar

page 45 note 2 Dunant, Henry to Daae, Hans, 23 05 1900 Google Scholar, Anders Daae Archives, Oslo

page 47 note 1 See Dunant, Henry to Müller, Rudolf, 4 09 1900, BPU, Fr. MS, 2112, p. 149 Google Scholar.

page 47 note 2 “… Awarding the Peace Prize to Dunant represented yet another concession to the idea which was to be found at the Conference of The Hague and which wishes to establish the doctrine that the only action to be taken against war should in reason be continued to its mitigation…” von Suttner, B., Memoiren, Stuttgart and Leipzig, 1909, p. 121 Google Scholar (translated from the German). Several of Dunant's correspondents or colleagues in the struggle for peace were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the course of the following years: Elie Ducommun and C.A. Gobat (1902), Bertha von Suttner (1905), Fredrik Bajer (1909), the International Peace Bureau (1910) and Alfred Fried (1911).

page 47 note 3 von Suttner, Bertha to Dunant, Henry, 11 12 1901, BPU, Fr. MS 2112, p. 150 Google Scholar

page 49 note 1 Suttner-Fried Collection, UNO. Dunant uses the word sic to emphasize the value of a passage. After the words quoted, Victor Hugo had continued: “To cause war to be hated is to cause kings to be hated. I applaud your noble efforts, and I send you my most sincere congratulations.” (February 1871, BPU, Fr. MS 2110, p. 39)

page 49 note 2 There follows the entire text of Henry Dunant's letter. L'indépendance belge, 4 01 1902 Google Scholar.

page 50 note 1 Dunant, Henry to von Suttner, Bertha, 1 01 1902, Suttner-Fried Collection, UNOGoogle Scholar

page 50 note 2 Quoted by von Suttner, Bertha, Memoiren, p. 521 Google Scholar

page 50 note 3 Professor Goegg, E. to Dunant, Henry, 2 01 1902, BPU MS 2112, p. 358 Google Scholar

page 51 note 1 From an article in the Journal de Genève, 24 09 1927 Google Scholar entitled “Henri Dunant et la Paix”. The article from the magazine Der Spiegel was reprinted in the review Die Friedens-Warte (13/15 July 1902, fourth year, UNO Archives), with a critical commentary on the question posed and the reply.