Defining International Aggression
The Search for World Peace


No. 2137. - General Treaty |1| for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy. Signed at Paris, August 27, 1928.

     French and English official texts communicated by the President of the Council, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic and the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs. The registration of this Treaty took place September 4, 1929.
     This Treaty was transmitted to the Secretariat by the Department of State of the Government of the United States of America, August 9, 1929.


THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN REICH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND AND THE BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, EMPEROR OF INDIA, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF ITALY, HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC, deeply sensible of their solemn duty to promote the welfare of mankind;

Persuaded that the time has come when a frank renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy should be made to the end that the peaceful and friendly relations now existing between their peoples may be perpetuated;

Convinced that all changes in their relations with one another should be sought only by pacific means and be the result of a peaceful and orderly process, and that any signatory Power which shall hereafter seek to promote its national interests by resort to war should be denied the benefits furnished by this Treaty;

Hopeful that, encouraged by their example, all the other nations of the world will join in this humane endeavour and by adhering to the present Treaty as soon as it comes into force bring their peoples within the scope of its beneficient provisions, thus uniting the civilized nations of the world in a common renunciation of war as an instrument of their national policy;

Have decided to conclude a Treaty and for that purpose have appointed as their respective Plenipotentiaries:

THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN REICH:

    Dr. Gustav STRESEMANN, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

    The Honorable Frank B. KELLOGG, Secretary of State;

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS:

    Mr. Paul HYMANS, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC:

    Mr. Aristide BRIAND, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND AND THE BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, EMPEROR OF INDIA:

    The Right Honourable Lord CUSHENDUN, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Acting Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;
    FOR THE DOMINION OF CANADA:
    The Right Honourable William Lyon MACKENZIE KING, Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs;
    FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA:
    The Honourable Alexander John McLACHLAN, Member of the Executive Federal Council;
    FOR THE DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND:
    The Honourable Sir Christopher James PARR, High Commissioner for New Zealand in Great Britain;
    FOR THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA:
    The Honourable Jacobus Stephanus SMIT, High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in Great Britain;
    FOR THE IRISH FREE STATE:
    Mr. William Thomas COSGRAVE, President of the Executive Council;
    FOR INDIA
    The Right Honourable Lord CUSHENDUN, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Acting Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF ITALY:

    Count Gaetano MANZONI, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Paris;

HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN:

    Count UCHIDA, Privy Councillor;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND

    Mr. A. ZALESKI, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC:

    Dr. Eduard BENEŠ, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

Who, having communicated to one another their full powers found in good and due form have agreed upon the following articles:

Article I.

The High Contracting Parties solemnly declare in the names of their respective peoples that they condemn recourse to war for the solution of international controvesies, and renounce it as an instrument of national policy in their relations with one another.

Article II.

The High Contracting Parties agree that the settlement or solution of all disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them, shall never be sought except by pacific means.

Article III.

The present Treaty shall be ratified by the High Contracting Parties named in the Preamble in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements, and shall take effect as between them as soon as all their several instruments of ratification shall have been deposited at Washington.

This Treaty shall, when it has come into effect as prescribed in the preceding paragraph, remain open as long as may be necessary for adherence by all the other Powers of the world. Every instrument evidencing the adherence of a Power shall be deposited at Washington and the Treaty shall immediately upon such deposit become effective as between the Power thus adhering and the other Powers parties hereto.

It shall be the duty of the Government of the United States to furnish each Government named in the Preamble and every Government subsequently adhering to this Treaty with a certified copy of the Treaty and of every instrument of ratification or adherence. It shall also be the duty of the Government of the United States telegraphically to notify such Governments immediately upon the deposit with it of each instrument of ratification or adherence.

En foi de quoi les plénipotentiaires respectifs
ont signé le présent traité établi en langue
française et anglaise, les deux textes ayant
force égale, et y ont apposé leurs cachets.

Fait à Paris, le vingt-sept août mil neuf cent vingt-huit.

In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries
have signed this Treaty in the French
and English languages both texts having equal
force, and hereunto affix their seals.

Done at Paris, the twenty-seventh day of August
in the year one thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight.

(L. S.) (Signé) Gustav STRESEMANN.
(L. S.) (Signé) Frank B. KELLOGG.
(L. S.) (Signé) Paul HYMANS.
(L. S.) (Signé) Aristide BRIAND
(L. S.) (Signé) CUSHENDUN.
(L. S.) (Signé) W. L. MACKENZIE KING.
(L. S.) (Signé) A. J. McLACHLAN
(L. S.) (Signé) C. J. PARR.
(L. S.) (Signé) J. S. SMIT.
(L. S.) (Signé) William Thomas COSGRAVE.
(L. S.) (Signé) CUSHENDUN.
(L. S.) (Signé) G. MANZONI.
(L. S.) (Signé) UCHIDA.
(L. S.) (Signé) Auguste ZALESKI.
(L. S.) (Signé) Dr. Eduard BENEŠ.

Copie certifiée conforme :

Le Ministre plénipotentiaire,
Chef du Service du Protocole :
P. de Fouquières.


Notes:

1. Ratifications deposited at Washington by all the States signatories, July 25, 1929.

    Accessions:

Afghanistan
Abyssnia
Albania
Austria
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Cuba
Denmark
Free City of Danzig
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
Greece
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Latvia
Liberia
November 30, 1928
November 28, 1928
February 12, 1929
December 31, 1928
July 22, 1929
August 12, 1929
May 8, 1929
October 1st, 1929
March 13, 1929
March 23, 1929
September 11, 1929
December 12, 1928
May 9, 1929
April 26, 1929
July 24, 1929
August 3, 1929
July 16, 1929
March 10, 1930
August 5, 1929
July 22, 1929
June 10, 1929
July 23, 1929
February 23, 1929
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Mexico
The Netherlands
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Persia
Portugal
Roumania
Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Siam
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Venezuela
April 5, 1929
August 24, 1929
November 26, 1929
July 12, 1929
May 13, 1929
March 26, 1929
February 25, 1929
December 4, 1929
July 23, 1929
July 25, 1929
March 1st, 1929
March 21, 1929
February 20, 1929
January 16, 1929
March 7, 1929
April 12, 1929
December 2, 1929
July 8, 1929
September 27, 1928
October 24, 1929

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Source: League of Nations, General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy, Signed at Paris, August 27, 1928, League of Nations Treaty Series, 1929, pp. 59-64.
Editorial Note: This is a true copy of the above-referenced original document. This document is reproduced in Benjamin B. Ferencz's work "Defining International Aggression - The Search for World Peace", Vol. 1, as Document No. 7.

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Published online by Equipo Nizkor - 26 March 2013