The Kellogg–Briand Pact outlawed war as an instrument of national policy and later served as the legal basis for prosecuting leaders for crimes against peace at Nuremberg.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 27 August 1928
- Original signatories
- Germany, France, and the United States
- Named after
- Frank B. Kellogg and Aristide Briand
- Enforcement mechanism
- None
- Legal legacy
- Basis for Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunal prosecutions (1946)
- Status
- Remains in effect
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the devastation of World War I, France and the United States sought a multilateral agreement to prevent future conflicts. French foreign minister Aristide Briand proposed a bilateral renunciation of war with the U.S., which Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg expanded into a broader multilateral treaty open to all nations.
On 27 August 1928, Germany, France, and the United States signed the General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy in Paris. Most other states signed shortly after. The pact, concluded outside the League of Nations, committed signatories to resolve disputes without resorting to war, though it included no enforcement mechanisms.
The pact failed to prevent World War II but established the legal concept of a crime against peace, enabling the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals to try and execute leaders responsible for starting the war. Declared wars became rare after 1945, and the pact's principles were later incorporated into the United Nations Charter, influencing subsequent international law and American foreign policy.
Political Outcome
Multilateral renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy; no enforcement mechanism but served as legal basis for post-WWII war crimes trials.