Determining when international law authorises a state to exercise its right of self-defence has been debated, but unsatisfactorily reasoned, for decades. This book unravels the legal and factual complications that have obscured the answer to this question.

Determining the earliest point in time at which international law authorises a state to exercise its inherent right of self-defence is an issue which has been debated, but unsatisfactorily reasoned, by scholars and states since the 1960's. Yet it remains arguably the most pressing question of law that faces the international community. This book unravels the legal and factual complications which have obscured the answer to this question. In contrast to most other works, it takes an historic approach by tracing the evolution of the rights, rules and principles of international law which have...