Quotes about Treaty Breach

Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad

When the English King [Richard I] saw that Saladin delayed in carrying out the terms of the treaty ... they brought up the Moslem prisoners ... more than 3 thousand men in chains. They fell on them as one man and slaughtered them in cold blood with sword and lance.

The treaty was for the surrender of the city of Acre. King Richard led all the Christian Crusaders. He has always had a good reputation in the West, and most people—especially the English would be surprised to learn that in order to speed up compliance with a treaty he ordered this atrocity. Christian historians corroborate the slaughter.

John Marshall

A people once numerous, powerful, and truly independent, found by our ancestors in the quiet and uncontrolled possession of an ample domain, gradually sinking beneath our superior policy, our arts, and our arms, have yielded their lands by successive treaties, each of which contains a solemn guarantee of the residue, until they retain no more of their formerly extensive territory than is deemed necessary for their comfortable subsistence.

Constantine XI Palaiologos

Now that you have broken the treaties to which I am bound by oath, let these be dissolved. Henceforth, I will keep the city gate closed. I will fight for the inhabitants with all my strength. You may continue in your power until the Righteous Judge passes sentence on each of us.

This is a good example of how religious zeal has sometimes caused rulers to really do stupid things. Rather than try and negotiate a deal with the Sultan and pay an annual tribute or other such diplomatic solution as was common at the time, he was convinced that God would make sure that the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire—a holy city would not fall to the infidel and allow all the holy relics to fall into the hands of the heathen. In reality he would not fight for the inhabitants; he would force the inhabitants to fight for him and his view of the will of God. The message was taken by the young Sultan to be a personal challenge to him and to his God. See {634805} for his response to Constantine.

Ryan Zinke

We've walked away from our treaty obligations in Ukraine, putting NATO at risk.

John Bolton

How do you deal with these countries which have happily signed all these treaties and are just as happily violating them…. They have signed solemn treaties agreeing not to do what they are doing.

Bolton had an idealistic view of the sanctity of treaties. For a more sophisticated “realpolitic” view, see {138034} .

Ferdinand II

That every secularization of a religious foundation, mediate or immediate, by the Protestants, subsequent to the date of the treaty, was contrary to its spirit, and must be revoked as a breach of it.

Saddam Hussein

Historically, and since, 1520, eighteen Treaties have been concluded between the Persian State and its western neighbours regarding its relations therewith including the question of borders. On all occasions, the Persian State chose the opportunity to violate the said Treaties whether by word or deed.

Peter Farb

Up to 1868, nearly four hundred treaties had been signed by the United States government with various Indian groups, and scarcely a one had remained unbroken.

Treaty Breach Quotes