The article emphasizes that while global agreement is rare, the principle of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity is widely upheld. The United Nations Charter prohibits the use of force against states, which aligns with current political rhetoric denouncing conquest. However, this rejection of territory acquisition through force is a modern stance. Historical figures like Hugo Grotius and Henry Wheaton show that the legitimacy of territorial changes has been debated, raising questions about the morality and practicality of treaties enforcing such changes, even if deemed unjust.
Hugo Grotius argued that treaties ending wars, even if unjust, must be honored to prevent wars from perpetuating, highlighting the complexity of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Political leaders today reject conquest as illegitimate, portraying the current international order as civilized and peace-loving, yet this view is a relatively new development.
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