What role did France play in the formation of the International Red Cross?

The International Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides assistance during armed conflicts and natural disasters. It was founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland by Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman. However, France played a key role in the formation of the organization.

In 1859, Dunant witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy, which left over 40,000 wounded and dying soldiers on the battlefield. Dunant was shocked by the lack of medical assistance available to the wounded soldiers, and he organized local people to help care for the wounded. This experience inspired him to write the book 'A Memory of Solferino', in which he called for the creation of national relief societies to provide assistance to wounded soldiers.

Two years later, in 1861, Dunant met with Gustave Moynier, a lawyer from Geneva, and they began working to create an international relief organization. They convinced the Swiss government to host a conference in 1863 to discuss their proposal, and representatives from 16 countries attended. France was one of these countries, and it played a key role in supporting Dunant and Moynier's proposal.

France was represented at the conference by General Guillaume-Henri Dufour, who was a supporter of the idea of creating an international relief organization. Dufour played a key role in convincing other countries to support the proposal, and he helped to draft the final agreement that established the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, which later became the International Committee of the Red Cross.

France continued to play an important role in the development of the International Red Cross, and it was one of the first countries to ratify the Geneva Conventions in 1864, which established the rules for the treatment of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war during armed conflict.