Moral and legal prohibitions against pillage in the context of the 1899 Hague Convention and the South African War

Abstract

This article explores the genesis, scope, and significance of the 1899 Hague Convention’s prohibition against pillage. It analyses how it intersected with the moral contours of pillage as revealed in the actions and attitudes of British soldiers, British commanders, and Boer civilians during the South African War. In doing so, it crosses from ideal moral theory to international law, to shared and disputed moral beliefs among participants in the South African War. Drawing from pillage in the South African War, it concludes that the motives, policing, and moral and political context of pillage are vital to understanding its historical significance.