The documents presented below are linked to the articles accessible here.
Engaged in a battle of the law during the conflict, jurists also took part in the reflections needed to establish a return to peace and its maintenance, which they believed would be lasting. Their expertise was sought at various conferences. In particular, they contributed to the debate on the Kaiser’s responsibilities and considered the renewal of international law in the context of a new organisation of international relations.
- Memoir on the responsibility of Wilhelm II
- Peace conferences and the Treaty of Versailles
- Impacts in the post-war period
Memoir on the responsibility of Wilhelm II
Ferdinand Larnaude et Albert Geouffre de La Pradelle - Ministère de la guerre, Examen de la responsabilité pénale de l'empereur Guillaume II, Paris : Imprimerie nationale, 1918, 26 p.
Source: National School of Prison Administration, class. no F8G90.Digitalized document available here.
In the aftermath of the world conflict, President of the Council Georges Clémenceau entrusted the professors of the Paris Faculty of Law Ferdinand Larnaude and Albert Geouffre de La Pradelle with a report on the criminal responsibility of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Despite the difficulties of its implementation, the authors consider that it is based on the German constitution. This report was given to the speakers at Versailles and was widely reported in the press.
« L'affaire Hohenzollern – Le point de droit », Le Figaro, 20 January 1919.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
In this article, Le Figaro returns to the organization and preparation of the Peace Conference during which the question of Wilhelm II's responsibility for the House of Hohenzollern will be examined. In this respect, the text advertises the report of Larnaude and La Pradelle.
« L'affaire Hohenzollern – Le point de droit », Le Figaro, 20 January 1919 (end).
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
« La responsabilité de Guillaume II au point de vue civil et pénal : le mémoire de MM. Larnaude et de Lapradelle », Journal des débats politiques et littéraires, 131e année, n° 21, Tuesday, 21 January 1919.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
The article returns to the memoir written by Ferdinand Larnaude and Albert de La Pradelle, but also to Alexandre Mérignhac's article on the same theme that appeared in the Télégramme.
« La responsabilité de Guillaume II au point de vue civil et pénal : le mémoire de MM. Larnaude et de Lapradelle », Journal des débats politiques et littéraires, 131e année, n° 21, Tuesday, 21 January 1919 (end).
Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
« La responsabilité de Guillaume II – L'organe officieux socialiste proteste contre la mise en jugement de l'ex-kaiser », Le Matin, 36e année, n° 12752, Sunday, 26 January 1919.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Following the diffusion of the report of Larnaude and La Pradelle on the responsibility of Wilhelm II, the German socialists contest the impeachment of the Kaiser.
« Le problème russe devant la Conférence », Le Petit Parisien, n° 15322, 20 janvier 1919.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
This article from the Petit Parisien returns to the set of difficulties encountered in the preparation of the Peace Conference: the Russian revolution that exploded the Empire into several nations is one of them, next to that of Wilhelm II's responsibility.
Peace conferences and the Treaty of Versailles
« [Creation of a legal advisory committee to advise on the work of the Conference] », Le Figaro, 65e année, 3e série, n° 13, 13 January 1919.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
« Autour de la Conférence », Le Petit Journal, 57e année, n° 20491, Sunday, 2 February 1919.
Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
« Les préliminaires de paix – Le débat des quatre – Pourquoi les délibérations sont longues et dures », Le Matin, 36e année, n° 12813, Friday, 28 March 1919.
Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
« La Belgique à la conférence de Versailles – Une confirmation regrettable », XXe siècle, Bruxelles, 25th year, n° 17, 17 January 1919, p.1
Source: Royal Library of Belgium
The Belgian press echoed the indignation over the number of plenipotentiary delegates allocated to Belgium for the peace conference. The number of plenipotentiary delegates allocated to Belgium for the peace conference was three, but in the end it was two, which for the Belgians did not reflect the respect due to them for what they had suffered during the war. The article gives the composition of the complete delegation sent to Versailles. There are law professors from all the universities of the country: Charles Terlinden for Leuven, Charles De Visscher for Ghent, Maurice Bourquin for Brussels and Ernest Mahaim for Liège; in addition to the plenipotentiaries Paul Hymans and Jules Van den Heuvel, both lawyers.
« La séance historique de la signature de la paix au château de Versailles. [June 28, 1919] », Le Miroir, 9e année, n° 294, Sunday, 13 July 1919
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
The treaty of Versailles, resulting from the peace conference, is signed on June 28 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Castle.
« [Traité de Versailles] », Images de la guerre 1914-1918, Documentaire Pathé, 1956 (prise de vue 1914 à 1918).
Source Gaumont Pathé Archives, référence CP 77.
Edited in the 1950s with footage shot in 1919, this video looks back at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, showing the key figures David Lloyd George (United Kingdom), Vittorio Orlando (Italy), Georges Clemenceau (France) and Thomas W. Wilson (United States), the four main negotiators, and the document signed.
Antoine Pillet, Le traité de paix de Versailles : conférences faites au Collège libre des sciences sociales, Paris : M. Rivière et cie, 1920.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Digitalized document available here.
Antoine Pillet (1857-1926) was a professor of international law at the Faculty of Law in Paris. He gives here his appreciation of the peace treaty of 1919. Through four lectures on the German Empire, the League of Nations, the satisfaction of France, and the question of reparations, he proposes to demonstrate that the Treaty of Versailles is a bad treaty that will not ensure peace.
Charles Maurras, « La politique – Les soixante-huit épargnés – Le traité au point d'incidence du droit et du fait – Le droit international et les Allemagnes », L'Action française, 13e année, n° 125, Tuesday, 4 May 1920.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
In this article, Charles Maurras, founder of the Action française, attacks the socialists as well as the treaty of Versailles. Echoing the arguments of Antoine Pillet, he pleads for the dissolution of the German empire, the only solution to maintain peace.
Charles Maurras, « La politique – Les soixante-huit épargnés – Le traité au point d'incidence du droit et du fait – Le droit international et les Allemagnes », L'Action française, 13e année, n° 125, Tuesday, 4 May 1920 (end).
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Impacts in the post-war period
« A l'université de Gand - un manifeste du corps professoral », Journal de Gand, 13 January 1919.
Source: Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent – Ghent University library The Manifesto, signed by the Rector of the University, Henri Schoentjes, and by the Secretary of the Academic Board of the University, Eugène Eeman, was addressed to the entire international university community. At the time when the Belgian universities were about to reopen their doors in January 1919, it was a matter of restoring Ghent University's legitimacy and guaranteeing a clear break with the Vlaamsche Hoogeschool created during the Occupation. Under the signatures of the Rector and the Academic Council's Secretary, the manifesto presents the names of those who have taught at the Hoogeschool, in each of the four faculties. Appointed rector in 1912, Henri Schoentjes took over the functions he had before the war. Eugène Eeman, secretary of the Academic Board since 1913, succeeded Schoentjes as rector in 1921.
« Il faut restaurer l’université de Louvain – Un appel du comité international qui a pris à tâche de faire aboutir cette œuvre de réparation et de justice », L’Eclair, 32e année, n° 11.186, 22 juillet 1919, p.3.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
A martyred city and university, a symbol of German exactions, Leuven was still the focus of attention in July 1919. In order to establish peace, it was necessary to repair the injustices, and major efforts were made to collect funds to rebuild the city, and particularly the university and its library. This article presents one such appeal.
« La grandiose journée de Louvain », XXe siècle, Bruxelles, 27e année, n° 210, 29 juillet 1921, p. 1
Source: Royal Library of Belgium
Efforts began to come to fruition in July 1921 with the laying of the foundation stone of the new library of the University of Leuven. This step was the object of a grandiose ceremony in the presence of a panel of political and intellectual personalities from all over the world.
« À l'Institut de droit international », Le Temps, n° 21130, 15 May 1919.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
The Institute of International Law, which had been dormant during the war, was active again. It is now working to restore peace, but can "jurisconsults deeply penetrated by the duty to respect treaties" be found in German universities?
« Dernière heure – Inauguration de l'Institut des hautes études internationales », Journal des débats politiques et littéraires, 133e année, n° 109, Wednesday, 20 April 1921.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
The end of the war was an opportunity to see the elites seize the momentum of world pacification and international law was one of the means. It was for this purpose that the Institute of Advanced International Studies was founded. It was officially born by decree on June 30, 1920, and the Journal des débats reports on the inaugural session, presided over by the President of the Republic, Alexandre Millerand, and attended by important figures in international law such as Professor Ferdinand Larnaude and Albert Geouffre de La Pradelle, founder of the Institute.
« Dernière heure – Inauguration de l'Institut des hautes études internationales », Journal des débats politiques et littéraires, 133e année, n° 109, Wednesday, 20 April 1921 (end).
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Paul Hymans et Giuseppe Motta, Discours d'inauguration prononcés à la première assemblée de la Société des Nations, Lüsslingen, Ido-Kontoro, 1921, 44 p.
Source: Free University of Brussels
Digitalized document available here.
From the war of law to peace through law, a number of international jurists invested in the new creations, provided for in the Treaty of Versailles, of these institutions supposed to resolve conflicts other than by arms, and more efficiently than the pre-war Hague conferences. An example here with the Swiss Giuseppe Motta and the Belgian Paul Hymans giving the inaugural speech at the first assembly of the League of Nations.
Maurice Bourquin, « La Cour de justice internationale », Revue de droit international et de législation comparée, 3e série, t. II, 1921, n°1-2, p. 17-34.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
Digitalized document available here.
Another example is this article by Maurice Bourquin, professor at the Free University of Brussels, who gives a brief and enthusiastic presentation of the project of an international court of justice which has just been voted by the Council of the League of Nations.
[Letter from Paul Huvelin, assistant to the dean, addressed to the rector in view of the constitution of the library of the Institute of Comparative Law], 7 October 1921.
Source: Department archives of Rhône, class. no 1 T 319.
At the Lyon Faculty of Law, the emphasis was placed after the war on peace through law and the promotion of international law. To this end, Professor Paul Huvelin addressed a request to the rector for a subsidy for the creation of a library of comparative law at the faculty.
[Letter from Paul Huvelin, assistant to the dean, addressed to the rector in view of the constitution of the library of the Institute of Comparative Law], 7 October 1921 (suite).
Source: Department archives of Rhône, class. no 1 T 319.
[Letter from Paul Huvelin, assistant to the dean, addressed to the rector in view of the constitution of the library of the Institute of Comparative Law], 7 October 1921 (fin).
Source: Department archives of Rhône, class. no 1 T 319.
Collections de jurisprudence étrangère indispensables à l'Institut de droit comparé.
Source: Department archives of Rhône, class. no 1 T 319.
List of works judged in 1921 to be fundamental to the constitution of the library of the Institute of Comparative Law of the University of Lyon.
Collections de jurisprudence étrangère indispensables à l'Institut de droit comparé (fin).
Source: Department archives of Rhône, class. no 1 T 319.
[Edouard Lambert in the library of the Institut de droit comparé]
Source: Archives of the law school of Lyon 3 University
Edouard Lambert (1866-1947), who was awarded the agrégation de Facultés de Droit in 1896, spent his entire career at the University of Lyon. Although he also taught courses in private international law, he held the chair of legal history until 1921. It was in that year that he founded the Institute of Comparative Law at the University of Lyon and obtained the newly created chair of comparative law.
« Chaire d'organisation de la Paix », Conseil de l'Université. Séance du 8 novembre 1930 à 16 heures. Présidence de M. le Recteur Gheusi.
Source: Department archives of Rhône (currently being reclassed).
Deliberation of the Council of the University of Lyon fixing the characteristics of the Chaire d'organisation de la Paix.
Over 10 years after the end of hostilities, we are still trying to ensure a lasting peace. To this end, Edouard Herriot proposed a course of study specifically devoted to the organization of international peace. This project took concrete form with the creation of the Chair for the Study of International Peace Institutions, known as the "Chaire d'organisation de la Paix".
« Chaire d'organisation de la Paix », Conseil de l'Université. Séance du 8 novembre 1930 à 16 heures. Présidence de M. le Recteur Gheusi (suite).
Source: Department archives of Rhône (currently being reclassed).
« Chaire d'organisation de la Paix », Conseil de l'Université. Séance du 8 novembre 1930 à 16 heures. Présidence de M. le Recteur Gheusi (suite).
Source: Department archives of Rhône (currently being reclassed).
« Chaire d'organisation de la Paix », Conseil de l'Université. Séance du 8 novembre 1930 à 16 heures. Présidence de M. le Recteur Gheusi (fin).
Source: Department archives of Rhône (currently being reclassed).
« [Acquisitions of German books to be made for repairs] », Registre de délibérations de la commission de la bibliothèque de la faculté de droit de Paris, séance du mardi 18 février 1930.
Source: Cujas library, Heritage collections.
More than ten years after the end of the war, the library of the Paris Faculty of Law, like other French libraries, still benefited from the reparations system set up by the Treaty of Versailles. It was thus able to acquire a significant number of works published in Germany at no cost. In 1930, it had a credit of 131,800 francs for this purpose.
Transcription : « Séance du mardi 18 février 1930. La commission se réunit à 16h34 dans le 5e cabinet de professeurs, sous la présidence de M. Truchy. Sont présents : M.M. Collinet, Génestal, Oualid, Ernest Perrot, Maurice Picard, Britsh.
Excusés : M.M. Julliot de La Morandière, Morel.
Le bibliothécaire en chef fait connaître qu'il dispose à la librairie Alfred Lorentz de Leipzig, d'un nouveau crédit de 131.800 frs, en vertu d'un second contrat homologué à temps par la Commission des Réparations. Seuls peuvent être acquis jusqu'en mai, à l'exception de tous autres, les ouvrages édités en Allemagne. Il importe donc que les dernières listes de desiderata lui soient remises au plus tard le jeudi 10 avril, avant le congé de Pâques. L'examen des listes d'ouvrages proposés fournit à M. le Président l'occasion de rappeler que suivant l'usage précédemment établi, les demandes d'ouvrages de culture générale ne sont admises que sous réserve des disponibilités et après satisfaction des demandes d'ouvrages juridiques et économiques. Après avoir fixé la prochaine réunion au premier mardi d'avril, M. le Président lève la séance à 17h30. »