The Rights of War and Peace

About the book

"The Rights of War and Peace" by Hugo Grotius is a treatise published in 1625 that established foundational principles of international law. Writing during the Thirty Years' War, Grotius sought to create a rational legal framework governing warfare and relations between nations, based on natural law, reason, and shared customs. He argued that universal principles of justice could regulate state behavior even without a higher authority, distinguishing just causes for war from lawful conduct during conflict. His work profoundly influenced modern international law and continues shaping debates on state sovereignty and just war theory.