General Orders No. 100 : The Lieber Code

[David Lockmiller]

General Orders No. 100 : The Lieber Code

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE FIELD

Prepared by Francis Lieber, promulgated as General Orders No. 100 by President Lincoln, 24 April 1863.

Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the Field, prepared by Francis Lieber, LL.D., Originally Issued as General Orders No. 100, Adjutant General's Office, 1863, Washington.

Table of Contents

Section I. Martial Law - Military jurisdiction - Military necessity - Retaliation.

Section II. Public and private property of the enemy -
Protection of persons, and especially of women, of religion, the arts and sciences -
Punishment of crimes against the inhabitants of hostile countries.

Section III. Deserters - Prisoners of war - Hostages - Booty on the battlefield.

Section IV. Partisans - Armed enemies not belonging to the hostile army -
Scouts- Armed prowlers - War-rebels.

Section V. Safe-conduct - Spies - War-traitors -
Captured messengers - Abuse of the flag of truce.

Section VI. Exchange of prisoners - Flags of truce - Flags of protection

Section VII. The Parole

Section VIII. Armistice - Capitulation

Section IX. Assassination

Section X. Insurrection - Civil War - Rebellion

I saw today on the news that the U. S. Secretary of Defense expressed his opposition to the United States joining the International Criminal Court for fear that American soldiers and other military personnel may be charged for war crimes.

This position undermines the necessary moral basis for charging Putin and members of the Russian military for numerous, undoubted war crimes in Ukraine. (not even mentioning numerous Russian war crimes in Syria.)