An example of disarmament efforts in the interwar period: The Briand-Kellogg pact

Disarmament forms a fundamental component of efforts to ensure international security by limiting the military capacities of states. In this regard, the Briand-Kellogg Pact stands out as one of the first international legal instruments aiming to prohibit war as a tool of international policy. Signed in 1928, the pact sought to delegitimize the use of war and encourage states to resolve disputes exclusively through peaceful means. It marked a significant turning point in the juridical exclusion of war and the broader process of state disarmament. This thesis analyzes the Briand-Kellogg Pact within the context of interwar disarmament efforts, using historical analysis as its methodological framework. It traces the evolution from precursor developments such as the Hague Conferences, the League of Nations, the Washington Naval Conference, and the Locarno Treaties. The study further examines the pact's formation, content, objectives, expansion, the diplomatic positions of signatory states, its impact on disarmament, and the reasons behind its eventual failure. The primary cause of the pact's ineffectiveness is attributed to the 1929 Great Depression and the concurrent rise of fascist and militarist ideologies. The outbreak of the Second World War illustrates the pact's inability to preserve peace. Its lack of binding enforcement mechanisms significantly limited its practical application. Additionally, definitional ambiguities within the pact allowed states to justify rearmament and military actions under exceptional circumstances. In the face of ongoing global conflicts and disarmament challenges, the influence of the pact appears to have diminished. This thesis offers a critical reflection on contemporary peace-oriented international order through the legacy of the pact.