Military Justice in Modern History

Military justice has long played a central role in the adjudication of war and violence throughout the world. It is one of the principal mechanisms used to maintain soldierly discipline as well as to protect civilian populations. At the same time, military justice also has served as an instrument of power in occupied territories by adjudicating the crimes of local inhabitants and has been vital to upholding order among prisoners of war. This volume explores the adjudication of wartime violence through diverse case studies of military justice within modern history (c. 1850–1945). This was a formative period in which our contemporary international legal framework emerged against the backdrop of the internationalisation and standardisation of national, customary practices and the increasing totalisation and globalisation of modern warfare. By examining the evolving and dialectic functions of military justice within this dynamic context, the volume develops important historical perspectives on the enforcement of discipline in armed forces, the punishment of enemy combatants and the administration of law and justice over civilians in occupied areas. "Military Justice in Modern History" reflects on issues in the adjudication of war and violence that are still prevalent in the conflict zones of our world today.