http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions
In 1862, Henri Dunant published his book, Memoir of Solferino, on the horrors of war.<2> His wartime experiences inspired Dunant to propose (1) a permanent relief agency for humanitarian aid in times of war, and (2) a government treaty recognizing the neutrality of the agency and allowing it to provide aid in a war zone. The former proposal led to the establishment of the Red Cross. The latter led to the First Geneva Convention. For both of these accomplishments, Henri Dunant became corecipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.<3>, <4>
The ten articles of this first treaty were initially adopted in 1864 by twelve nations.<5> Clara Barton was instrumental in campaigning for the ratification of the First Geneva Convention by the United States, which eventually ratified it in 1882.<6>
The second treaty was first adopted in 1906 and specifically addressed members of the Armed Forces at sea. The third treaty was first adopted in 1929 to deal with the protection of prisoners of war. The fourth treaty was inspired by the war criminals of the Nuremburg Trials and first adopted in 1949. It reaffirmed the prior three treaties and added many new terms, including the protection of civilians during wartime.
Despite the length of these documents, they were found over time to be incomplete. In 1977, two protocols were adopted that extended the terms of the 1949 treaty with additional protections. In 2005, a third brief protocol was added establishing an additional protective sign for medical services, as an alternative to the ubiquitous Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems, for those countries that find them objectionable.
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