'Hugo Grotius: The Making of a Founding Father of International Law

This essay chapter explains how the myths surrounding Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) came into being and whose interests have been served by it. It was a combination of Dutch nationalism and the rise of modern international law that turned Grotius into a ‘founding father’ of modern international law, with a little help, it should be said, from the American delegates at the 1899 Hague Peace Conference. The myth is based on a highly selective reading of De Jure Belli ac Pacis (1625) and completely ignores the larger historical context of Grotius’ work, particularly his hands-on involvement in Western imperialism and colonialism. The chapter aims to properly contextualize Grotius’ life and work, rather than to focus on just one aspect of it and use that to justify modern-day arrangements for the resolution of conflicts between states.