On August 27, 1928, fifteen countries signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact (also known as the Paris Pact) in Paris, France to outlaw future wars. In particular, the Pact outlawed war as a tool for international policy and required countries to settle their disputes by peaceful means. However, the Pact had little practical effect in stopping future wars, including World War II.

After the devastating effects of World War I, the U.S. and other countries made efforts to prevent future wars. Three main ideas arose, including (i) international disarmament, (ii) an international organization dedicated to prevent wars (i.e. the League of Nations), or (iii) to outlaw war by law. International public opinion embraced outlawing war by law – even though it would be nearly impossible to enforce. Relations between the United States and France had also deteriorated after World War I. For example, France resented the U.S. for the terms of the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I. The U.S. continued to collect its full amount of war debts from France, even though France had nearly no means pay all its debt back. And other issues between the two countries surfaced.

French foreign minister Aristide Briand saw this as an opportunity to mend the relationship with the U.S. Briand met with Columbia University professor James Shotwell to discuss a bilateral treaty to outlaw war between France and the US. With such a treaty, Briand though this would help to alleviate tensions between the two countries. Brian later met with U.S. Secretary of State, Frank Kellogg, to discuss terms of the treaty.

On this day, August 27, 1928, the Kellogg-Briand Pact (also known as the Paris Pact) was signed by fifteen countries in Paris, France in an effort to end all future wars. The signing countries included: (1) Australia, (2) Belgium, (3) Canada, (4) Czechoslovakia, (5) France, (6) Germany, (7) India, (8) Ireland, (9) Italy, (10) Japan, (11) New Zealand, (12) Poland, the (13) South Africa, (14) United Kingdom, and the (15) United States. Later, the Pact was eventually signed by most modernized countries in the world.

The Pact was one of many international efforts to prevent another World War. However, the Pact did little to actually stop further wars, including World War II. Further, the Pact simply outlawed “wars of aggression,” not those of self-defense, and it failed to define these terms in any meaningful way. As such, most countries signed the Pact with the understanding that they could still go to war for all types of situations. Additionally, the signatories of the Pact failed to enforce it.

In 1931, the Japanese invaded Manchuria, now known as the Mukden Incident. And while Japan signed the Pact, the other signing countries failed to protect Manchuria from Japan’s invasion. Later, Germany, Austria, and Italy completely disregarded the Pact when they invaded other countries including Abyssinia and Poland in the mid and late 1930s. And World War II erupted shortly thereafter.

Even though the Pact had little practical effect to stop future wars, Frank Kellogg earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1929 for his work on Pact.

Today, the 1928 Kellogg–Briand Pact remains binding international law and is codified in U.S. federal law. The Pact serves as a legal basis in establishing international norms on the threat or use of military force and crimes against humanity. For example, the Pact was used in the Nuremberg trials of World War II to sentence Nazis in their crimes against humanity.