How did the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 regulate weapons and military conduct?

The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 were pivotal in establishing international norms for the conduct of hostilities, though they largely failed in their primary objective to limit the expansion of armed forces and new armaments.1

Regulation of Weapons

The 1899 conference adopted three significant declarations prohibiting specific methods of warfare:
* The use of asphyxiating gases.1
* The use of expanding bullets (dumdums).1
* The discharge of projectiles or explosives from balloons.1

While the 1907 conference renewed the prohibition on aerial bombardment from balloons, it did not reaffirm the bans on asphyxiating gases or expanding bullets.1

Military Conduct and Conventions

The conferences established foundational rules for the conduct of war on land and sea, defining the conditions of belligerency. Key regulations included:1
* Neutrality: Establishing the rights and duties of neutral powers and persons.1
* Naval Warfare: Regulating the use of automatic submarine contact mines, bombardment by naval forces, and the status of enemy merchant ships.1
* Dispute Resolution: The 1899 conference created the Permanent Court of Arbitration to facilitate the peaceful settlement of international disputes.1

Much of the Hague Conventions reflects customary international law, providing a framework for the jus in bello (laws of war) that applies regardless of formal declarations of war.2