An Obstacle, though not a Barrier’

This article explores the role of international law in nineteenth-century British security planning, arguing that statesmen believed law could only influence state conduct rather than determine outcomes. As a result, statesmen crafted agreements to exploit the possibilities of international law while recognising its limitations. The article explores the functions of law, providing examples of how diplomats employed law to increase predictability in interstate relations, signal national interests, and strengthen mutual interests between countries. However, the role of war in the international legal system exposed flawed assumptions about the future of war, limiting the effectiveness of law

Computer security · Economics · Exploit · International law · Law and economics · Obstacle · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Predictability · Sovereignty · State (computer science · Territorial integrity · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics · International Law and Human Rights · Law