Articles of War facts for kids
The Articles of War were a set of rules created to control how a country's army and navy should behave. The idea of these rules first appeared in 1637. They are often used to talk about military law in general. In Sweden, a similar term was first used in 1556. However, the term "Articles of War" usually refers to the specific rules made in Britain after the Glorious Revolution and the rules in the United States that were based on them.
Contents
Rules for the Military
Throughout history, there were separate sets of Articles of War for the army and the navy.
England's first Articles of War were made for the Royal Navy. These rules were like laws that controlled how members of the Royal Navy should act. They were clearly displayed on all naval ships. They listed many actions that were considered crimes for navy members. These rules were in addition to the regular laws of England and Wales.
The naval Articles of War were first put out by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in 1653. This happened after a defeat at the Battle of Dungeness. Later, after the Restoration, these rules became official laws passed by Act of Parliament. After another defeat at the Battle of Toulon in 1744, Parliament made the Articles even stricter in 1749. These strict rules led to the execution of Admiral John Byng. Many in the navy and Parliament felt he should have received a lighter punishment. Because of this, changes in 1779 began to make the punishments less harsh over time. The naval Articles were kept in the Naval Discipline Act 1957 but were later replaced by the Armed Forces Act 2006, which covers all military branches.
The 1749 Articles of War were very detailed. They covered many aspects of naval life and duty. For example, they included rules about:
- Attending religious services.
- Prohibiting swearing and other bad behavior.
- Forbidding communication with enemies or rebels.
- Punishing those who didn't report messages from enemies.
- Dealing with spies.
- Not helping enemies with supplies.
- How to handle papers and goods from captured ships.
- Treating prisoners fairly.
- Preparing for and fighting bravely in battle.
- Obeying orders during a fight.
- Not holding back or running away from a fight.
- Chasing enemies and helping allies.
- Not delaying service for any reason.
- Punishing desertion (running away from duty) and helping deserters.
- How convoy ships should protect merchant ships.
- Not carrying private goods on navy ships.
- Preventing mutiny (rebellion) and sedition (stirring up trouble).
- Reporting any secret plans against the King or government.
- How to complain about food or other issues without causing trouble.
- Punishing those who strike or disobey superior officers.
- Stopping fights and bad talk among crew members.
- Preventing waste or theft of supplies.
- Punishing those who burn ships or magazines.
- Taking care while steering ships to avoid accidents.
- Not sleeping on watch or leaving one's post.
- Punishing murder and robbery.
- Dealing with false records of crew members.
- Making sure officers help catch and punish offenders.
- Dismissing officers who behave badly.
- Applying these rules to crimes committed on land, both in and outside the King's lands.
- Allowing other crimes not listed to be punished by sea laws and customs.
British Army Rules
The first Articles of War for the English Army (which became the British Army in 1707) were written under King William III. These new rules replaced older medieval rules that were issued for each military campaign. The Mutiny Acts gave the King and his government the power to create Articles of War for each conflict. Over time, these Articles were largely replaced by King's Regulations, which were always in effect. The Army stopped using the Articles of War when they were left out of the Army Act 1955.
United States Military Rules
On June 30, 1775, the Second Continental Congress created 69 Articles of War to guide the behavior of the Continental Army. After the U.S. Constitution was approved in 1789, it gave the Congress the power to make laws for the army and navy.
On April 10, 1806, the U.S. Congress passed 101 Articles of War for both the Army and Navy. These were updated during the American Civil War with the Lieber Code (1863). This code allowed the Union Army to legally fight against Confederate guerrillas and enemy civilians. On June 4, 1920, Congress passed 121 new Articles of War. The military justice system continued to use these Articles of War until May 31, 1951. On that date, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) came into effect, which is still used today. The UCMJ created a single set of laws for all branches of the U.S. military.
See Also
