The Laws and Usages of War at Sea

“The general object of war is to procure the complete submission of the enemy at the earliest possible period, with the least expenditure of life and property.” —Article 1, The Laws and Usages of War at Sea—A Naval War Code

The current laws of war are based on a number of historical codes that regulated the conditions for war and the conduct of warring parties. One of those codes related to naval warfare was The Law and Usages of War at Sea—A Naval War Code, which was the first code of Law of Naval Warfare, prepared by then-Captain Charles H. Stockton and approved by President William McKinley in 1900.

Some related publications by Cosimo Reports are: Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the Field—The Lieber Code (1863), Rules of Land Warfare (1940), Small Wars Manual (1940), The United States Department of Defense Law of War Manual (2016), and others.