American Foreign Policy and the Maritime Declaration of Paris (1856)

Authors : Elif Yeneroğlu, Özgür Budak

Pages : 1682-1712

Doi:10.46868/atdd.2024.784

View : 50 | Download : 110

Publication Date : 2024-11-06

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The Maritime Declaration of Paris which was signed at the end of the Crimean war aimed at solving problems regarding rights of neutrals, privateering and blockades. These problems which were sources of conflicts and even wars for a number of centuries were solved in an innovative manner with regards to the development of the rules of international law. The United States of America, which was the defender of neutral rights almost immediately after its independence did not adhere to the Declaration. This preference stemmed from a number of domestic and foreign policy factors that were closely interconnected. The studies of international law often neglect the historical background of the emergence of these rules. However, it is often impossible to comprehend the logic of those rules without analyzing the power politics between states, that is, the political and economic dynamics within which these rules emerged. What is more neglected is US policy and its contributions to the emergence of these rules. Within this framework this study aims to analyze Maritime Declaration of Paris with a view to American foreign policy priorities. As such, the study aims to contribute to the fields of history of international law and history of American foreign policy.
Keywords : History of American Foreign Policy, History of International Law, Maritime Declaration of Paris, Neutrality, Privateering