Course description
This course examines the uneasy relationship between law and warfare, including the historical evolution of the law of armed conflict, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; the Geneva Conventions and other international treaties; illegal tactics and weapons; torture; the growth of international human rights; and the nature of genocide. Case studies include accusations of war crimes against US troops in Haditha, Iraq, in 2008; the international trial of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg; the 1968 massacre at My Lai in Vietnam; the responsibility of commanders and the defense of superior orders; the ongoing persecution of the Rohinga in Myanmar; the International Criminal Court; and the future, if any, of the law of war. The focus of this course is on broad concepts of law, justice, and accountability in warfare and genocide. No prior knowledge of legal or military systems is required.
