Instructions for the Government of Armies in the Field

The Code for the Government of Armies in the Field, often referred to as the Lieber Code, was a U.S. government document drafted by Francis Lieber in 1863 during the American Civil War. This code was a pioneering effort to establish systematic rules for the conduct of warfare, aiming to mitigate its devastation. It provided guidelines for armies on how to behave in the field, including the treatment of prisoners of war and the protection of civilians. The Lieber Code served as a foundational document for subsequent international conventions on the laws of war, influencing the development of humanitarian principles in armed conflict.12