Abrogation Quotes
The Byzantine emissary had pointed out that Mehmed’s predecessors had signed a treaty agreeing to “consult” with Constantinople before building any fortified structure in the area surrounding Constantinople. Mehmed was only 19 years old at this time. His intention f building a fort was to have a platform from which to attack and capture Constantinople itself which he did 2 years later. Earlier, the Eastern Roman Empire was much stronger and the Ottoman sultans were more cautious in dealing with them. However, the various Christian factions were all feuding with each other, and Mehmed II, despite his youth, was much better organized and was a better leader than his predecessors.
Under the treaty between Ireland and England that created the Irish free state, in case of war or other contingency, the Irish Free State was required to allow Great Britain to use specific seaports. However, De Valera hated the English, originally opposed the treaty, and was adamant that the Irish Free State be neutural in WWII. He therefore refused to fulfill the Irish obligation. For Churchill this was the last chance for De Valera to show that the Irish Free State was a real nation with rights and obligations. Interestingly, although De Valera did not want to assist the British fighting the Germans, over 70,000 Irishmen went to England and Volunteered to fight on the British side. There were Irish batallions fighting on the allied side but the Irish Free State was neutural. De Valera made matters worse when he allowed German agents into the Irish Free State to try and go from there to England as well as set up observation posts to guide German bombers attacking the populated city of Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. See {639724} for Chirchill’s later reflective commentary on the situation.
See {138034} for one world leader’s candid view of treaty obligations.
Turkey, in a disastrous foreign policy decision unilaterally withdrew from a major treaty and joined Germany in WWI in exchange for German support of Turkey’s treaty withdrawal. It led to the dissolution of the Ottoman Turkish Empire when Germany was defeated in WWI. Historically, it shows how easy it is for a nation to abrogate a treaty which illustrates how ephemeral treaties actually are. See De Gaulle’s wonderful quotation on this point—{138034}.
Under the treaty between Ireland and England that created the Irish free state, in case of war or other contingency, the Irish Free State was required to allow Great Britain to use specific seaports. However, De Valera hated the English, originally opposed the treaty, and was adamant that the Irish Free State be neutural in WWII. He therefore refused to fulfill the Irish obligation. Interestingly, although De Valera did not want to assist the British fighting the Germans, over 70,000 Irishmen went to England and Volunteered to fight on the British side. There were Irish batallions fighting on the allied side but the Irish Free State was neutural. De Valera made matters worse when he allowed German agents into the Irish Free State to try and go from there to England as well as set up observation posts to guide German bombers attacking the populated city of Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. The Allies were able to use the Northern Irish Ports but had the Germans blocked those, the British would have invaded the Port Areas of the Irish Free State to obtain what Ireland was required to supply.
General Narvaez along with several other generals fought for control of the Spanish government under Queen Isabel II’s reign.
This quotation illustrates a great problem with treaties in international law. Here an opponent of the Egyptian regime and one who disapproves of the regime before it, wants to repudiate the treaties that had been signed by previous Egyptian governments. So when there is a regime change, can a new regime repudiate earlier treaties? International law says no, but if a new government refuses to follow its obligations, then it is left to the other treaty partners to put pressure on them--breaking diplomatic relations, trade sanctions, even war. For example, President Thomas Jefferson made a treaty with the French Dictator Napoleon and bought the Louisiana Territory which includes a number of current American states. If a new French government abrogated the treaty of the dictator on the grounds that it did not represent the will of the French people and tried to take back their land, war could ensue. Nations very rarely repudiate treaties for if they did, who would sign any new ones?
