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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 November 2019
Presidents of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) occupy a special position: they are not only direct witnesses to the march of history, but they also participate in it given their prominent role in the humanitarian sphere. This dual status becomes particularly salient when they write about the organization they run. By reviewing the published writings of ICRC presidents, this article analyzes how these individuals combine their personal experience with the organization's history, and the role this history plays in their writing.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
1 Durant, André, “Le premier Prix Nobel de la Paix (1901): Candidatures d'Henry Dunant, de Gustave Moynier et du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 83, No. 842, 2001Google Scholar.
2 The years of the presidencies are shown in parentheses. This information was found on the website of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, available at: www.redcross.int/FR/HISTORY/not_pres_icrc.asp (all internet references were accessed in May 2019).
3 For more on this, see Palmieri, Daniel, “To inform or govern? 150 years of the International Review of the Red Cross”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 100, No. 907, 908, 990Google Scholar.
4 Ador, Gustave, “La Suisse et son action charitable pendant la Guerre”, Foi et Vie, No. 11, 16 June 1916Google Scholar.
5 Max Huber, La pensée et l'action de la Croix-Rouge, ICRC, Geneva, 1954.
6 Boissier, Léopold, “La Croix-Rouge et l'assistance aux détenus politiques”, Politique Étrangère, Vol. 23, No. 1, 1958, pp. 16–17CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
7 Hay, Alexandre, “The ICRC and the World Today: Address by Mr. Alexandre Hay, President of the ICRC, at the Opening Meeting of the Twenty-Fourth International Red Cross Conference”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 22, No. 226, 1982CrossRefGoogle Scholar (Review’s translation).
8 Maurer, Peter, “The ICRC and Its Mission: Past and Future”, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2017CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
9 Moynier, Gustave, Les causes du succès de la Croix-Rouge, Alphonse Picard, Paris, 1888Google Scholar.
10 ICRC, “Histoire”, available at: www.icrc.org/fr/qui-nous-sommes/histoire.
11 See the various volumes of the History of the International Committee of the Red Cross: Boissier, Pierre, From Solferino to Tsushima, Plon, Paris, 1963Google Scholar; Durand, André, From Sarajevo to Hiroshima, Institut Henry Dunant, Geneva, 1978Google Scholar; Rey-Schyrr, Catherine, From Yalta to Dien Bien Phu, Georg, Geneva, 2007Google Scholar; Perret, Françoise, From Budapest to Saigon, Georg, Geneva, 2009Google Scholar; Blondel, Jean-Luc, From Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City, ICRC, Geneva, 2016Google Scholar.
12 For example, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 94, No. 888, 2012; and Vol. 100, Nos 907, 908, 909, 2018.
13 Max Huber, “La Croix-Rouge et l’évolution du droit international”, in M. Huber, above note 5, p. 34 (Review’s translation).
14 Max Huber, “Le droit des gens et la personne humaine”, in M. Huber, above note 5, pp. 269–294 (Review’s translation).
15 Ibid. (Review’s translation).
16 Léopold Boissier, Nouveaux regards vers la paix, Ed. de la Baconnière, Neuchâtel, 1944, p. 3 (Review’s translation).
17 Ibid., p. 1 (Review’s translation).
18 See his bibliography in the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, under “Carl J. Burckhardt”, available at: www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F11624.php.
19 Burckhardt, Carl Jacob, Meine Danziger Mission: 1937–1939, Georg D. W. Callwey, Munich, 1961Google Scholar.
20 Burckhardt, Carl Jacob, Das Kriegswerk des Internationalen Komitee vom Roten Kreuz, AG. Gebr. Leemann & Co., Zurich, 1945Google Scholar.
21 Ibid., p. 16.
22 Kellenberger, Jakob, “Europa um uns, Europa in uns: Referat anlässlich seines Besuchs beim Europa Institut an der Universität Zürich am 30. Mai 2006”, in 60 Jahre Churchill-Rede in Zürich: Europa in der Globalisierung, Schulthess, Zürich, 2006Google Scholar; Kellenberger, Jakob, Humanitäre Tätigkeit in Konfliktsituationen: Alte und neue Herausforderungen, Hans Erni-Stiftung, Lucerne, 2008Google Scholar.
23 Erny, Hansjörg, Jakob Kellenberger, Diplomat und IKRK-Präsident im Gespräch mit Hansjörg Erny, Zytglogge Verlag, Oberhofen am Thunersee, 2006Google Scholar.
24 Ibid., p. 88.
25 Thomas Brückner, Hilfe schenken: Die Beziehungen zwischen dem IKRK und der Schweiz 1919–1939, NZZ-Libro, Zürich, 2017; Cardia, Isabelle Vonèche, Neutralité et engagement: Les relations entre le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) et le gouvernement suisse 1938–1945, Société d'Histoire de la Suisse Romande, Lausanne, 2012, pp. 41–43Google Scholar.
26 Cédric Cotter, (s’)Aider pour survivre: Action humanitaire et neutralité suisse pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, Georg, Chêne-Bourg, 2017, pp. 211–251; Cédric Cotter, “‘Notre grande force consiste dans notre indépendance absolue de tout pouvoir politique’: Les liens troubles entre le CICR et la Confédération”, in Action humanitaire et quête de la paix: Autour du centenaire de l'attribution du prix Nobel de la paix au Comité international de la Croix-Rouge, forthcoming, pp. 210–227; Irène Herrmann, “Gustave Ador”, in International Encyclopedia of the First World War, 9 July 2015, available at: https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/ador_gustave.
27 The following published writings contain paragraphs or entire sections about the ICRC's history: L. Boissier, above note 6; Hay, Alexandre, “Le CICR et la Commission indépendante sur les questions humanitaires internationales: Séance inaugurale. Le CICR et les questions humanitaires internationales”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 66, No. 745, 1984Google Scholar; Max Huber, Red Cross and Neutrality, ICRC, Geneva, 1936; M. Huber, above note 5; Max Huber, Das internationale Rote Kreuz: Idee und Wirklichkeit, Max Niehans, Zürich, 1951; Huber, Max, “L'idée de la Croix-Rouge”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 35, No. 413, 1953Google Scholar; Kellenberger, Jakob, “Sixty Years of the Geneva Conventions: Learning from the Past to Better Face the Future: Ceremony to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, Geneva, 12 August 2009”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 91, No. 875, 2009CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Paul Ruegger, “L'organisation de la Croix-Rouge internationale sous ses aspects juridiques”, in Recueil des cours de l'Académie de droit international 1953, 1953; Cornelio Sommaruga, “Le Droit de Genève: Défi permanent de protéger et respecter”, in La souveraineté au XXIe siècle, Editions Interuniversitaires Suisses, Fribourg, 2004.
28 M. Huber, above note 5; P. Ruegger, above note 27; Sommaruga, Cornelio, “Foreword”, in Moore, Jonathan (ed.), Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas in Humanitarian Intervention, Rowman and Littlefield, New York, 1998Google Scholar.
29 See the publications by Max Huber cited in note 27.
30 Massimo Lorenzi, Entretiens avec Cornelio Sommaruga, président du CICR, Editions Favre, Lausanne, 1998, p. 107 (Review’s translation).
31 Ibid., p. 119 (Review’s translation).
32 P. Ruegger, above note 27, p. 405.
33 H. Erny, above note 23, p. 87.
34 For more specific examples, see notes 98 to 101.
35 Huber, Max, “Au service du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 25, No. 294, 1943Google Scholar.
36 Ibid., p. 169 (Review’s translation).
37 Ibid., p. 171 (Review’s translation).
38 Ibid., p. 173 (Review’s translation).
39 J. Kellenberger, Humanitäre Tätigkeit in Konfliktsituationen, above note 22, p. 41.
40 Bugnion, François, Gustave Moynier 1826–1910, Ed. Slatkine, Geneva, 2010, p. 85Google Scholar.
41 Gustave Moynier, Notions essentielles sur la Croix-Rouge, Georg et Cie, Geneva, 1896, p. 36 (Review’s translation).
42 Moynier, Gustave, “Les dix premières années de la Croix-Rouge”, Bulletin de la Société Genevoise d'Utilité Publique, No. 10, 1873, p. 2Google Scholar (Review’s translation).
43 G. Moynier, above note 9, p. 20 (Review’s translation).
44 G. Moynier, above note 42, p. 8.
45 Gustave Moynier, Mes heures de travail, Société Générale d'Imprimerie, Geneva, 1907, p. 46.
46 G. Moynier, above note 42, p. 75.
47 G. Moynier, above note 45, p. 35 (Review’s translation).
48 “I only knew that he had no positive vocation, but that he held a pen in a bank, and that he was let go because he was unable to write letters in proper French.” Ibid., p. 53 (Review’s translation).
49 Ibid., p. 55 (Review’s translation).
50 Ibid., p. 62 (Review’s translation).
51 Ibid., pp. 62–63 (Review’s translation).
52 These examples are from Guy Bedouelle, “L'humanitaire et le politique, conversation avec Cornelio Sommaruga” Pierre d'Angle, No. 2, April 1996; and M. Lorenzi, above note 30 (Review’s translation).
53 M. Lorenzi, above note 30.
54 Ibid., p. 106 (Review’s translation).
55 Sommaruga, Cornelio, “Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in the Legal Arsenal of the ICRC”, in Warner, Daniel (ed.), Human Rights and Humanitarian Law: The Quest for Universality, M. Nijhoff, The Hague, 1997, p. 133Google Scholar.
56 C. Sommaruga, above note 28, pp. ix–xiii.
57 M. Lorenzi, above note 30, p. 201 (Review’s translation).
58 Ibid., pp. 22–23.
59 Ibid., p. 59.
60 Virginie Poyetton, Cornelio Sommaruga: L'humanité en mission, Slatkine, Geneva, 2018, p. 107 (Review’s translation).
61 M. Lorenzi, above note 30, p. 96 (Review’s translation). Sommaruga makes similar statements in V. Poyetton, above note 60, pp. 107–108.
62 M. Lorenzi, above note 30, p. 96 (Review’s translation).
63 H. Erny, above note 23, p. 15.
64 Ibid.
65 “Allocution de Monsieur MARCEL NAVILLE, président de la Fondation pour Genève”, in Jacques Freymond, Continuité d'une politique étrangère: Allocutions et textes, Fondation pour Genève, Geneva, 1982, pp. 7–13.
66 Max Huber, The Good Samaritan: Reflections on the Gospel and Work in the Red Cross, Victor Gollancz, London, 1945, p. 25.
67 G. Moynier, above note 9, p. 3 (Review’s translation).
68 G. Moynier, “Les dix premières années de la Croix-Rouge”, above note 42, p. 76 (Review’s translation).
69 G. Moynier, above note 41, p. 7 (our translation).
70 G. Moynier, above note 9, pp. 21–22 (Review’s translation).
71 Gustave Moynier, La neutralité des militaires blessés et du service de santé des armées, Impr. Toinon, Paris, 1867, p. 18.
72 G. Moynier, above note 45, p. 46 (Review’s translation); G. Moynier, above note 42, p. 3 (Review’s translation).
73 Ibid., p. 62 (Review’s translation).
74 Ibid., p. 36 (Review’s translation).
75 M. Lorenzi, above note 30, p. 20.
76 H. Erny, above note 23, p. 47 (Review’s translation).
77 G. Moynier, Etude sur la Convention de Genève pour l'amélioration du sort des militaies blessés dans les armées en campagne: 1864 et 1868, Geneva, 1870; M. Huber, above note 5; M. Huber, above note 13; P. Ruegger, above note 27.
78 P. Ruegger, above note 27, p. 390 (Review’s translation).
79 Ibid., p. 412 (Review’s translation).
80 If we were to analyze everything the presidents wrote, including their speeches, we would surely find various references to Red Cross historians, including some former delegates.
81 G. Moynier, above note 9, p. 4 (Review’s translation).
82 M. Huber, above note 13, p. 25 (Review’s translation).
83 Gustave Moynier, La Croix-Rouge, son passé et son avenir, ICRC, Geneva, 1882, pp. 254–255 (Review’s translation).
84 G. Moynier, above note 71, p. 40 (Review’s translation).
85 P. Ruegger, above note 27, p. 385 (Review’s translation).
86 Ibid., p. 389 (Review’s translation).
87 J. Kellenberger, above note 27.
88 For example: I. V. Cardia, above note 25.
89 Cornelio Sommaruga, “Préface”, in Pierre Marqués, La Croix-Rouge pendant la guerre d'Espagne (1936–1939): Les missionnaires de l'humanitaire, L'Harmattan, Montreal, 2000, p. 11 (Review’s translation).
90 Kellenberger, Jakob, “Genève et Paris: Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge et la France, 1863–1918”, in Harouel, Véronique, Genève–Paris 1863-1918: Le droit humanitaire en construction, Société Henry Dunant, Geneva, 2003, p. viiGoogle Scholar (Review’s translation).
91 Ibid. (Review’s translation).
92 Sommaruga, Cornelio, “Mirror of Humanity: Experience and Conscience”, in Bugnion, François, The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Protection of War Victims, ICRC, Geneva, 2003, p. xxiiGoogle Scholar (Review’s translation).
93 Ibid., p. xix.
94 C. Sommaruga, above note 89, p. 11.
95 Sommaruga, Cornelio, “International Humanitarian Law: Even Wars Have Limits”, in Finnish Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 9, 1998, p. 411Google Scholar.
96 Favez, Jean-Claude, The Red Cross and the Holocaust, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999Google Scholar.
97 Some of the main publications include Ben-Tov, Arieh, Facing the Holocaust in Budapest: The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Jews in Hungary, 1943–1945, Institut Henry Dunant, Geneva, 1988CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Bugnion, François, “L'action du CICR pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale: Le CICR infiltré par les Nazis?”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 79, No. 824, 1997Google Scholar; Daniel Palmier and Irène Herrmann, “Des humanitaires en eaux troubles: Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) et les camps de concentration nazis, 1933–1939”, Matériaux pour l'Histoire de Notre Temps, No. 95, 2009; I. V. Cardia, above note 25; Irène Herrmann, L'humanitaire en questions: Réflexions autour de l'histoire du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge, Editions du Cerf, Paris, 2018, pp. 83–118.
98 Cornelio Sommaruga, “Le point de vue du CICR”, in Jean-Claude Favez, Une mission impossible? Le CICR, les déportations et les camps de concentration Nazis, Editions Payot, Lausanne, 1988, p. 377 (Review’s translation).
99 Ibid., p. 378 (Review’s translation).
100 Laurentin, Emmanuel (ed.), A quoi sert l'histoire aujourd'hui?, Bayard, Paris, 2010, pp. 62–65Google Scholar.
101 M. Lorenzi, above note 30, p. 22.
102 H. Erny, above note 23, p. 70 (Review’s translation).
103 E. Laurentin, above note 100, p.84-85 (Review’s translation).
104 Baumgartner, Elisabeth and Ott, Lisa, “Determining the Fate of Missing Persons: The Importance of Archives for ‘Dealing with the Past’ Mechanisms”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 99, No. 905, 2017CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Hashemi, Valerie McKnight, “A Balancing Act: The Revised Rules of Access to the ICRC Archives Reflect Multiple Stakes and Challenges”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 100, No. 907–909, 2018CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
105 Droux, Joëlle, “Life during Wartime: The Save the Children International Union and the Dilemmas of Warfare Relief, 1919–1947”, in Paulmann, Johannes (ed.), Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid in the Twentieth Century, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2016Google Scholar; Marie-Luce Desgrandchamps, “Revenir sur le mythe fondateur de Médecins sans frontiers: Les relations entre les médecins français et le CICR pendant la guerre du Biafra (1967–1970), Relations Internationales, No. 146, 2011.
106 P. Maurer, above note 8, pp. 11–12.
