The foundations of Neutrality in International Law: What It Is (and Is Not)

"The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must"In this first episode of a three-part series, I’m joined by Dr Veronica Barry (UCD) to explore the history and evolution of neutrality in international relations, tracing its development from antiquity through to the First World War.We begin by unpacking what neutrality means in both legal and historical terms, including its formal codification in international law through the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. The discussion then moves into the Middle Ages, when neutrality was often understood through the lens of Christian “just war” theory and could even be viewed as morally problematic if one side was considered righteous.We then explore what is sometimes described as the “golden age of neutrality,” during which both permanent and occasional neutral states played important roles in the international system. Dr Barry outlines how the Hague Conventions sought to standardise the rights and responsibilities of neutrals.The episode concludes with the First World War, a major turning point in the history of neutrality, where Dr Barry discusses how the pressures of total war led to widespread violations of neutral rights as military necessity increasingly overrode respect for sovereignty. This sets up the transition to Episode 2, where we will continue the discussion into the post-1914 period and move towards the emergence of Irish neutrality in the context of independence and the early Irish Free State.