Making the Case in International Law

Abstract

Two French law professors, Ferdinand Larnaude and Albert de Lapradelle, prepare a report for their government on the legal issues involved in prosecuting the Kaiser, something that they recommend enthusiastically. The British set up a committee of experts that also studies the legal difficulties, recommending prosecution, although not unanimously. The French are mainly interested in atrocities perpetrated in the parts of their country that were occupied. The British focus on such issues as submarine warfare. Both groups of experts concur in dividing the types of charges that might be made against the Kaiser into waging a war of aggression, violating the treaties of neutrality, and unlawful conduct during the conflict, and believe Kaiser Wilhelm II cannot invoke immunity before an international tribunal.