Authors

Juana María Hernández Conesa

Position

Profesora titular. Facultad de Enfermería. Universidad de Murcia. España. Doctora Europea por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Magister en Protección Internacional de los Derechos Humanos. Facultad de Derecho. Universidad de Alcalá. Medalla Florence Nightingale de España, 2009. CICR. Ginebra.

Contact address

Juana María Hernández Conesa. Facultad de Enfermería. Universidad de Murcia. Campus Universitario de Espinardo. Edif. 23. 30003 Murcia.

Contact email: jhconesa@um.es

Abstract

One century after the beginning of the First World War, it is unavoidable to reflect about wars which are still flooding the Earth: to reflect, finally, about the humanitarian action in armed conflicts. In order to achieve the purpose of this analysis, firstly we will review the Vitorian scholastic conception, regarding the legitimacy of violent means in order to reach peace. This thesis is grouped around the genesis of the legal-moral postulates surrounding the legality of fair war in the Relectio de iure belli, by Francisco de Vitoria, establishing a connection between the work of the scholastic and the commitment by Henry Dunant who, three centuries afterwards, and after the Solferino horror, was inspired in vitorian axioms, among others, to set up the Red Cross, and carry humanity to battlefields, through humanitarian action.

Keywords:

First World War; Red Cross; International Humanitarian Law; Henri Dunant; Francisco de Vitoriahistory

Versión en Español

Título:

La Primera Guerra Mundial y la acción humanitaria: génesis doctrinal de la humanización de los campos de batalla