{{Short description|Formal act by which one state announces war against another}} {{Redirect|State of war}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} [[File:Franklin Roosevelt signing declaration of war against Germany.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a declaration of war against Nazi Germany on 11 December 1941.]] A '''declaration of war''' is a formal act by which one state announces existing or impending war activity against another. The declaration is a performative speech act (or the public signing of a document) by an authorized party of a national government, in order to create a '''state of war''' between two or more states.
The legality of who is competent to declare war varies between nations and forms of government. In many nations, that power is given to the head of state or sovereign. In other cases, something short of a full declaration of war, such as a letter of marque or a covert operation, may authorise war-like acts by privateers or mercenaries. The official international protocol for declaring war was defined in the Hague Convention (III) of 1907 on the Opening of Hostilities.
Since 1945, developments in international law such as the United Nations Charter, which prohibits both the threat and the use of force in international conflicts, have made declarations of war largely obsolete in international relations,<ref name="HOL">{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldconst/236/236i.pdf |title=Waging war: Parliament's role and responsibility |date=27 July 2006 |publisher=House of Lords |access-date=21 April 2008 |quote=Developments in international law since 1945, notably the United Nations (UN) Charter, including its prohibition on the threat or use of force in international relations, may well have made the declaration of war redundant as a formal international legal instrument (unlawful recourse to force does not sit happily with an idea of legal equality).}}</ref> though such declarations may have relevance within the domestic law of the belligerents or of neutral nations. The UN Security Council, under powers granted in articles 24 and 25, and Chapter VII of the Charter, may authorize collective action to maintain or enforce international peace and security. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter also states that: "Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a state."<ref name="UN_Charter">{{cite book |title=Charter of the United Nations |title-link=wikisource:Charter of the United Nations |at=art. 51}}</ref>
Declarations of war have been exceedingly rare since the end of World War II.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Irajpanah|first1=Katherine|last2=Schultz|first2=Kenneth A.|date=2021|title=Off the Menu: Post-1945 Norms and the End of War Declarations|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2021.1979842|journal=Security Studies|volume=30|issue=4|pages=485–516|doi=10.1080/09636412.2021.1979842|s2cid=239546101|issn=0963-6412|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Fazal|first=Tanisha M.|date=2012|title=Why States No Longer Declare War|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2012.734227|journal=Security Studies|volume=21|issue=4|pages=557–593|doi=10.1080/09636412.2012.734227|s2cid=143983917|issn=0963-6412|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Scholars have debated the causes of the decline, with some arguing that states are trying to evade the restrictions of international humanitarian law (which governs conduct in war)<ref name=":1" /> while others argue that war declarations have come to be perceived as markers of aggression and maximalist aims.<ref name=":0" />
==History== [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1987-0703-507, Berlin, Reichstagssitzung, Rede Adolf Hitler.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Adolf Hitler announcing the German declaration of war against the United States on 11 December 1941.]] The practice of declaring war has a long history. The ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh gives an account of it,<ref>Brien Hallett, ''The Lost Art of Declaring War'', University of Illinois Press, 1998, {{ISBN|0-252-06726-6}}, pp. 65f.</ref> as does the Old Testament.<ref>Deut. 20:10–12, Judg. 11:1–32.</ref><ref>Brien Hallett, ''The Lost Art of Declaring War'', University of Illinois Press, 1998, {{ISBN|0-252-06726-6}}, pp. 66f.</ref> The Roman Republic formalized the declaration of war by a special ceremony, the ritual of the Fetials, though the practice started to decline into the Imperial era.
However, the practice of declaring war was not always strictly followed. In his study ''Hostilities without Declaration of War'' (1883), the British scholar John Frederick Maurice showed that between 1700 and 1870 war was declared in only 10 cases, e.g. the 1812 French declaration of war on Russia or the Declarations of war by Great Britain and the United Kingdom, while in another 107 cases war was waged without such declaration (these figures include only wars waged in Europe and between European states and the United States, not including colonial wars in Africa and Asia).
In modern public international law, a declaration of war entails the recognition between countries of a state of hostilities between these countries, and such declaration has acted to regulate the conduct between the military engagements between the forces of the respective countries. The primary multilateral treaties governing such declarations are the Hague Conventions.
The League of Nations, formed in 1919 in the wake of the First World War, and the General Treaty for the Renunciation of War of 1928 signed in Paris, France, demonstrated that world powers were seriously seeking a means to prevent the carnage of another world war. Nevertheless, these powers were unable to stop the outbreak of the Second World War, so the United Nations was established following that war in a renewed attempt to prevent international aggression through declarations of war.
===Denigration of formal declarations of war before WWI=== In classical times, Thucydides condemned the Thebans, allies of Sparta, for launching a surprise attack without a declaration of war against Plataea, Athens' ally – an event that began the Peloponnesian War.<ref>Thucydides. ''History of the Peloponnesian War'', Book II.</ref>
The utility of formal declarations of war has always been questioned, either as sentimental remnants of a long-gone age of chivalry or as imprudent warnings to the enemy. For example, writing in 1737, Cornelius van Bynkershoek judged that "nations and princes endowed with some pride are not generally willing to wage war without a previous declaration, for they wish by an open attack to render victory more honourable and glorious."<ref>Bynkershoek, Cornelius van. 1930. ''Quæstionum Juris Publici Liber Duo'' (1737). Trans. Tenney Frank. ''The Classics of International Law'' No. 14 (2). Publications of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Oxford at the Clarendon Press. (I, ii, 8).</ref> Writing in 1880, William Edward Hall judged that "any sort of previous declaration therefore is an empty formality unless the enemy must be given time and opportunity to put himself in a state of defence, and it is needless to say that no one asserts such a quixotism to be obligatory."<ref>Hall, William Edward. 1924. ''A Treatise on International Law''. 8th ed. by A. Pearce Higgins. London: Humphrey Milford: Oxford University Press. (p. 444).</ref>
===Formal declarations of war during World War I=== {{main|Declarations of war during World War I}}
===Formal declarations of war during World War II=== {{main|Declarations of war during World War II}}
===Declared wars since 1945=== Declarations of war, while uncommon in the traditional sense, have mainly been limited to the conflict areas of the Western Asia and East Africa since 1945. Additionally, some small states have unilaterally declared war on major world powers such as the United States or Russia when faced with a hostile invasion and/or occupation. The following is a list of declarations of war (or the existence of war) by one sovereign state against another since the end of World War II in 1945. Only declarations that occurred in the context of a direct military conflict are included.
{| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2" | War(s) ! rowspan="2" | Date ! rowspan="2" | Titled ! colspan="2" | Belligerents ! rowspan="2" | Ended ! rowspan="2" | References |- ! Declaring party ! Opponent |- | rowspan="3"| {{unbulleted list | Arab–Israeli War (1948–49) | Suez Crisis (1956) | Six-Day War (1967) | War of Attrition (1967–70) | Yom Kippur War (1973) }} | rowspan="3"| 15 May 1948 | rowspan="3" | Declaration of war | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Egypt}} Egypt | rowspan="3" | {{flag|Israel}} | 26 March 1979 | rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite book|title=Six Days of War|author=Michael Oren|publisher=Random House Ballantine Publishing Group|location=New York|year=2003|page=[https://archive.org/details/sixdaysofwarjune0000oren_u3x7/page/5 5]|isbn=0-345-46192-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sixdaysofwarjune0000oren_u3x7/page/5}}</ref> |- | {{flag|Jordan}} | 26 October 1994 |- | {{flagicon|Syria|1932}} Syria, {{flagicon|Kingdom of Iraq}} Iraq, {{flag|Lebanon}} | ''Still technically at war.'' |- |India–Pakistan war of 1965 |6 September 1965 | rowspan="3" |Existence of a state of war |{{Flag|India}} |{{Flag|Pakistan}} |23 September 1965 |<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Hari Ram |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3jAxNbn1tkEC |title=India-Pakistan War, 1965 |date=1968 |publisher=Hariyana Prakashan |language=en}}</ref> |- |Six-Day War (1967) |June 1967 |{{flagicon|Mauritania}}Mauritania |{{Flag|Israel}} |1991 |<ref>{{Cite web |title=In Bed With Phillip - 20 Years of Late Night Live - War and its Legacy - Amos Oz |url=https://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/inbedwithphillip/episodes/151-amos-oz/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=www.abc.net.au}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=April 2024}} |- |India–Pakistan war of 1971 |23 November 1971 |{{Flag|Pakistan}} |{{Flag|India}} |16 December 1971 |<ref>{{Cite web |title=INDO-PAKISTANI WAR OF 1971 |url=http://www.warchat.org/history-asia/indo-pakistani-war-of-1971.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823055450/http://www.warchat.org/history-asia/indo-pakistani-war-of-1971.html |archive-date=2009-08-23 |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=www.warchat.org}}</ref> |- | Uganda–Tanzania War | 2 November 1978 | rowspan="2" |Declaration of war | {{flag|Tanzania}} | {{flag|Uganda}} | 3 June 1979 | <ref>{{cite thesis |last= Kamazima|first= Switbert Rwechungura|date= 2004|title= Borders, boundaries, peoples, and states: a comparative analysis of post-independence Tanzania-Uganda border regions|type= PhD|publisher= University of Minnesota|oclc= 62698476|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=kkIag9gBxacC|page = 167}}</ref> |- | Iran–Iraq War | 22 September 1980 | {{flagicon|Iraq|1963}} Iraq | {{flag|Iran}} | 20 July 1988 |<ref>{{cite web |author=Robert Cowley |year=1996 |title=Iran-Iraq War |url=http://www.history.com/topics/iran-iraq-war |publisher=History.com}}</ref> |- | United States invasion of Panama | 15 December 1989 | rowspan="10" | Existence of a state of war | {{flag|Panama}} | {{flag|United States}} | 31 January 1990 | <ref>{{cite magazine|title=Did Noriega declare war?|author=Theodore Draper|magazine=New York Review of Books |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1990/mar/29/did-noriega-declare-war/?pagination=false|date=29 March 1990}}</ref> |- | Eritrean–Ethiopian War | 14 May 1998 | {{flag|Ethiopia|1996}} | {{flag|Eritrea}} | 12 December 2000 | <ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/107985.stm World: Africa Eritrea: 'Ethiopia pursues total war']. BBC News. 6 June 1998.</ref> |- |NATO intervention in Kosovo |24 March 1999 |{{Flag|Yugoslavia}} |{{Flag|NATO}} |25 June 1999 |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boudreaux |first=Richard |date=1999-06-25 |title=Yugoslav Parliament Votes to End State of War |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-25-mn-49975-story.html |access-date=2026-04-06 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> |- | Chadian Civil War | 23 December 2005 | {{flag|Chad}} | {{flag|Sudan}} | 15 January 2010 |<ref>{{cite news|title=Call to ease Chad-Sudan tension|work=BBC News|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4559254.stm|date=25 December 2005}}</ref> |- | Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict | 13 June 2008 | {{flag|Djibouti}} | {{flag|Eritrea}} | 6 June 2010 | <ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7453063.stm | work=BBC News | title=France backing Djibouti in 'war' | date=13 June 2008}}</ref> |- | Russo-Georgian War | 9 August 2008 | {{flag|Georgia}} | {{flag|Russia}} | 16 August 2008 | <ref>{{cite web|title=Georgia declares 'state of war' over South Ossetia|work=The Guardian|author=Peter Walker|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/09/georgia.russia2|date=9 August 2008}}</ref> |- | Heglig Crisis | 11 April 2012 | {{flag|Sudan}} | {{flag|South Sudan}} | 26 May 2012 | <ref>{{cite web|title=Sudan declares war on South Sudan|author=Scott Baldauf|publisher=Christian Science Monitor|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Keep-Calm/2012/0419/Sudan-declares-war-on-South-Sudan-Will-this-draw-in-East-Africa-and-China-video|date=19 April 2012}}</ref> |- |Korean conflict (Frozen) |30 March 2013 |{{Flag|North Korea}} |{{Flag|South Korea}} |''Still technically at war.'' |<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-03-30 |title=North Korea enters 'state of war' with South |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21979127 |access-date=2026-04-29 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> |- |2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict |08 August 2014 |{{Flag|Azerbaijan}} |{{Flag|Armenia}} | |<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-07 |title=President of Azerbaijan declares ‘state of war’ with Armenia on |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/president-of-azerbaijan-declares-state-of-war-with-armenia-on-twitter-9655692.html |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> |- | Second Nagorno-Karabakh War | 27 September 2020 | {{flag|Azerbaijan}} | {{flag|Armenia}} | 10 November 2020 | <ref>{{cite web|title=Azerbaijan declares state of war in some cities, regions|author=Ruslan Rehimov|publisher=Anadolu Agency|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/azerbaijan-declares-state-of-war-in-some-cities-regions/1987528/|date=27 September 2020}}</ref> |- | Second Western Sahara War | 14 November 2020 | Declaration of war | {{flag|SADR}} | {{flag|Morocco}} | ''Still at war.'' | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/western-sahara-end-independence-truce-morocco-b97f386e-6ca3-45fb-aefe-13656f37f54d.html|title = Western Sahara independence group declares war on Morocco| date=14 November 2020 }}</ref> |- | Gaza war | 7 October 2023 {{Disputed inline|date=September 2024}} | Existence of a state of war | {{Flag|Israel}} | {{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg}} Hamas |''Still at war.'' | <ref>{{Cite web |first1=Hadas |last1=Gold |first2=Shirin |last2=Faqiri |first3=Helen |last3=Regan |first4=Jessie |last4=Yeung |first5=Caitlin |last5=Hu |date=8 October 2023 |title=Israel formally declares war against Hamas as it battles to push militants off its soil |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/08/middleeast/israel-gaza-attack-hostages-response-intl-hnk/ |access-date=9 October 2023 |website=CNN |language=en-US}}</ref> |}
===Other unique cases===
====Russo-Ukrainian War==== No formal declaration of war has been issued in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin gave a televised broadcast announcing the start of the invasion with the term "special military operation", side-stepping a formal declaration of war.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/putins-ukraine-invasion-do-declarations-of-war-still-exist-177880 |title=Putin's Ukraine invasion - do declarations of war still exist? |first1=Rebekah K. |last1=Pullen |first2=Catherine |last2=Frost |work=The Conversation |date=3 March 2022 |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref> The statement was, however, regarded as a declaration of war by the Ukrainian government<ref>{{cite web |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/ukraine-envoy-to-un-says-russia-declared-war/articleshow/89790558.cms |title=Ukraine's envoy says Russia 'declared war' |work=The Economic Times |date=24 February 2022 |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref> and reported as such by many international news sources.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/24/putins-speech-declaring-war-on-ukraine-translated-excerpts |title='No other option': Excerpts of Putin's speech declaring war |work=Al Jazeera |date=24 February 2022 |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-announces-special-military-operation-in-ukraine/ |title=Battles flare across Ukraine after Putin declares war Battles flare as Putin declares war |first=Zoya |last=Sheftalovic |work=Politico |date=24 February 2022 |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref> While the Ukrainian parliament refers to Russia as a "terrorist state" in regards to its military actions in Ukraine,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3457746-vr-recognizes-russia-as-terrorist-state-bans-military-symbols-z-and-v.html |title=Verkhovna Rada recognized Russia as a terrorist state |work=Ukrinform |date=15 April 2022 |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref> it has not issued a formal declaration of war on its behalf.
==Procedures== In Title II, Article 2 of the first Hague Convention of 1899, the signatory states agreed that at least one other nation be used to mediate disputes between states before engaging in hostilities:
{{blockquote| In case of serious disagreement or conflict, before an appeal to arms, the signatory Powers agree to have recourse, as far as circumstances allow, to the good offices or mediation of one or more friendly Powers.<ref>Scott, James Brown, editor ''The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907'', Oxford University Press (1918) p. 43 "Pacific Settlement of International Disputes"</ref>}}
The Hague Convention (III) of 1907 called "Convention Relative to the Opening of Hostilities"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hague03.asp |title=Laws of War : Opening of Hostilities (Hague III); October 18, 1907 |via=The Avalon Project at Yale Law School |access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref> gives the international actions a country should perform when opening hostilities. The first two Articles say:
{{blockquote| '''Article 1'''
The Contracting Powers recognize that hostilities between themselves must not commence without previous and explicit warning, in the form either of a reasoned declaration of war or of an ultimatum with conditional declaration of war.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hague03.asp#art1 |title=Laws of War : Opening of Hostilities (Hague III); October 18, 1907 |via=The Avalon Project at Yale Law School |access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref>
'''Article 2'''
The existence of a state of war must be notified to the neutral Powers without delay, and shall not take effect in regard to them until after the receipt of a notification, which may, however, be given by telegraph. Neutral Powers, nevertheless, cannot rely on the absence of notification if it is clearly established that they were in fact aware of the existence of a state of war.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hague03.asp#art2 |title=Laws of War : Opening of Hostilities (Hague III); October 18, 1907 |via=The Avalon Project at Yale Law School |access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref>}}
=== The United Nations and war === In an effort to force nations to resolve issues without warfare, framers of the United Nations Charter attempted to commit member nations to using warfare only under limited circumstances, particularly for defensive purposes.
The UN became a combatant itself after North Korea invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950, which began the Korean War. The UN Security Council condemned the North Korean action by a 9–0 resolution (with the Soviet Union absent) and called upon its member nations to come to the aid of South Korea. The United States and 15 other nations formed a "UN force" to pursue this action. In a press conference on 29 June 1950, US President Harry S. Truman characterized these hostilities as not being a "war" but a "police action".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=594 |title=The President's News Conference |access-date=3 July 2007 |date=29 June 1950 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226063925/http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=594 |archive-date=26 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The United Nations has issued Security Council Resolutions that declared some wars to be legal actions under international law, most notably Resolution 678, authorizing the 1991 Gulf War which was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. UN Resolutions authorise the use of "force" or "all necessary means".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/man/crs/RS21323.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102174734/http://fas.org/man/crs/RS21323.pdf |archive-date=2 November 2015}} The United Nations Security Council – Its Role in the Iraq Crisis: A Brief Overview.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UN Security Council Resolution 678 (1990)|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3b00f16760.html|publisher=United Nations High Commission for Refugees|access-date=31 December 2012}}</ref>
==Legality== The legality of who is competent to declare war varies between nations and forms of government. In many nations, that power is given to the head of state or sovereign. The official international protocol for declaring war was defined in the Hague Convention (III) of 1907 on the Opening of Hostilities.
Since 1945, developments in international law such as the United Nations Charter, which prohibits both the threat and the use of force in international conflicts, have made declarations of war largely obsolete in international relations,<ref name="HOL" /> though such declarations may have relevance within the domestic law of the belligerents or of neutral nations. The UN Security Council, under powers granted in articles 24 and 25, and Chapter VII of the Charter, may authorize collective action to maintain or enforce international peace and security. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter also states that: "Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a state."<ref name="UN_Charter"/>
==Requirements by country== Declaring war is usually done through a process that involves prior approval before a formal announcement is made. This differs by country as some do not have a formal or codified pre-approval process, and in such a case, a given head of government can declare war with no pre-conditions.
{| class="wikitable" |- ! scope=col | Country ! scope=col | War declarer ! scope=col | Legal cause ! scope=col | Authorized by ! scope=col | Additional information |- ! scope=row | Australia | Governor-General | Section 61 and 68 of the Australian constitution<ref>{{Cite web |last=corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House |first=Canberra |title=Chapter II. The Executive Government. |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Practice_and_Procedure/Constitution/chapter2 |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=www.aph.gov.au |language=en-AU}}</ref> | Governor-General{{Efn|While the constitution dictates that executive power is vested in the Governor General as the Monarchs representative, they act on the advice of ministers of the Australian Government who hold the de facto ability to declare war.}} (de jure)
Government (de facto)
| Per the Australian Constitution executive powers relating to defence are vested in the Governor General as the representative of the Monarch of Australia, including the power to formally proclaim a state of war, which has only been used during World War 2, in contemporary day to day practice the deployment of forces and military action against hostile powers is the responsibility of the Prime Minister and Ministers under the Defence Act 1903 and other related acts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australia declares war - Parliamentary Education Office |url=https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/history-of-parliament/history-milestones/australian-parliament-history-timeline |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=peo.gov.au |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=corporateName=Attorney-General's |first=scheme=AGLSTERMS AglsAgent |title=Defence Act 1903 |date=2025-09-29 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/C1903A00020/latest |access-date=2025-09-30 |publisher=scheme=AGLSTERMS.AglsAgent; corporateName=Office Parliamentary Counsel; address=Locked Bag 30 Kingston ACT 2604; contact=+61 2 6120 1400}}.</ref> |- ! scope=row | Austria<ref>{{Cite act|url=https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10000138|title =Bundes-Verfassungsgesetz|year=2025|article=C. Bundesversammlung § 38 and 40(1)|lang=de-AT}}</ref> | Parliament | Article 38 and 40 of B-VG | Parliament | The President has to announce a declaration of war. |- ! scope=row | Brazil | President | Article 84 of the Brazilian constitution | Congress | The President of Brazil has the power to declare war, in the event of foreign aggression, when authorized by the National Congress or, upon its ratification if the aggression occurs between legislative sessions, and decree full or partial national mobilization under the same conditions. |- ! scope=row | Canada | Monarch | None | Monarch <br>(de jure){{efn|While declaring war does not require the direct approval from the Parliament of Canada, such can be sought by the government.}} | See: Declaration of war by Canada. |- ! scope=row | China | President | Article 62(15), 67(19) and 80 | Congress <br>(de jure){{efn|The NPC has been described as a rubber stamp legislature. <!--References are provided there-->}} | The National People's Congress is vested with the power to decide "on issues concerning war and peace" while the President "in pursuance of the decisions of the National People's Congress...proclaims a state of war." The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress may "decide, when the National People's Congress is not in session, on the proclamation of a state of war in the event of an armed attack on the country or in fulfillment of international treaty obligations concerning common defense against aggression". |- ! scope=row | Finland<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/1999/731|title=Suomen perustuslaki 731/1999 - Ajantasainen lainsäädäntö - FINLEX ®|access-date=27 March 2015}}</ref> | President | Article 93 of the Finnish constitution | Parliament | The President of Finland may declare war or peace, with permission from the Parliament of Finland. |- ! scope=row | France | Government | Article 35 of the French constitution | Parliament | The Parliament "authorize" the declaration of war.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Article 35 - Constitution du 4 octobre 1958 - Légifrance |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000019241022 |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=www.legifrance.gouv.fr}}</ref> |- ! scope=row | Germany<ref>{{cite act|url=https://www.btg-bestellservice.de/pdf/80201000.pdf|title=Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|page=110|article=115a}}</ref> | Parliament | Article 115a GG | Parliament | A necessary requirement is a determination by a two-thirds majority in the lower house and a majority in the upper house that Germany is under armed attack or that such an attack is imminent. Exceptions apply if the bodies are unable to meet. If such a determination is made, the president may issue declarations relating to international law with the consent of the lower house. |- ! scope=row | Hungary<ref>{{cite web |title=Magyarország Alaptörvénye |trans-title=Fundamental Law of Hungary |url=https://net.jogtar.hu/jogszabaly?docid=a1100425.atv |website=Hatályos Jogszabályok Gyűjteménye |publisher=Wolters Kluwer Hungary Kft. |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629132909/https://net.jogtar.hu/jogszabaly?docid=a1100425.atv |archive-date=29 June 2023 |language=hu |url-status=live}}</ref> | National Assembly | Article 1 of the Fundamental Law of Hungary | National Assembly | The National Assembly "shall decide to declare a state of war and to conclude peace". |- ! scope=row | India | President | Article 53(2) of the Constitution of India | Parliament | The president of India can declare war or conclude peace, subject to the approval of parliament and advice from select government officials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/pdf1/Part18.pdf|title=PART XVIII: EMERGENCY PROVISIONS|work=mea.gov|access-date=October 9, 2023}}</ref> |- ! scope=row | Israel | Prime Minister | The Knesset: Article 40(a)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Israel_2013|title= Basic Law The Knesset}}</ref> and The Government: Article 3(a)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b517c.html|title= Israel: Israel: Basic Law of 1992, The Government}}</ref> of the Basic Laws of Israel |Prime Minister | Per article 40(a) of the Basic Law The Knesset, the state will declare war "pursuant to a government decision" with the prime minister to give notice to the Knesset "as soon as possible." Per article 3(a) of the Basic Law The Government, "the Government is {{sic|comprised |hide=y|of}} the Prime Minister and Ministers." |- ! scope=row | Italy | President | Articles 78 and 87 of the Constitution of Italy | Parliament | The President shall make declarations of war as have been agreed by Parliament. Parliament has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the necessary powers into the Government. |- ! scope=row | Kuwait | Monarch | Article 68 of the Constitution of Kuwait | Monarch | The Emir declares defensive war by decree. Offensive war is prohibited. |- ! scope=row | Mexico<ref>{{cite web|title=Capítulo III Del Poder Ejecutivo|url=https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/Cap%C3%ADtulo_III_Del_Poder_Ejecutivo|access-date=3 August 2016|language=es}}</ref> | President | Article 89 § VIII of the Mexican Constitution | Congress | The President may declare war in the name of the United Mexican States after the correspondent law is enacted by the Congress of the Union. |- ! scope=row | Netherlands<ref>{{cite web |title=The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |url=https://www.government.nl/binaries/government/documents/reports/2019/02/28/the-constitution-of-the-kingdom-of-the-netherlands/WEB_119406_Grondwet_Koninkrijk_ENG.pdf |website=www.government.nl/ |date=2018 |access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref> | States General | Article 96 of the Constitution of the Netherlands | States General |Majority vote in the state general is required, unless an act of war prevents the states general to convene. |- ! scope=row | Pakistan<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan 1973 Constitution |url=https://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1333523681_951.pdf |website=National Assembly of Pakistan |access-date=28 February 2026}}</ref> | President | Article 232 of the Constitution of Pakistan | President | Article 232 of the Constitution authorizes the President to issue a Proclamation of Emergency on account of war or external aggression, acting on the binding advice of the Prime Minister (Article 48). |- ! scope=row | Philippines<ref>{{cite web |title=Philippines 1987 Constitution |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Philippines_1987 |website=Constitute Project |access-date=19 July 2025}}</ref> | Congress | Article 6, Section 23 of the Constitution of the Philippines | President | Requires a two-thirds vote in a joint session of Congress, with each chamber voting separately. |- ! scope=row |Qatar | Monarch | Article 71 of the Constitution of Qatar | Monarch | Defensive war shall be declared by an Emiri decree and aggressive war is prohibited. |- ! scope=row | Russia | President | Article 71 and 86 of the Constitution of Russia<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-05.htm|title = Full text: Chapter 4. The President of the Russian Federation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-04.htm|title = Full text: Chapter 3. The Federal Structure}}</ref> | President | Per Article 71: "The jurisdiction of the Russian Federation includes [...] foreign policy and international relations of the Russian Federation, international treaties and agreements of the Russian Federation, issues of war and peace;" Per Article 86:a "The President of the Russian Federation shall: [...] govern the foreign policy of the Russian Federation;" |- ! scope=row | Saudi Arabia | Monarch | Article 61 of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia | Monarch | |- ! scope=row | Spain | Monarch | Article 63 of the Spanish constitution of 1978 | Parliament | The King, with prior authorization by the Parliament, has the power to declare war and make peace. |- ! scope=row | Sweden<ref>{{Cite act|url=http://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/kungorelse-1974152-om-beslutad-ny-regeringsform_sfs-1974-152|title = Kungörelse (1974:152) om beslutad ny regeringsform Svensk författningssamling |institution= Riksdagen|year=2010|number=1408|article=15 kap. 14 §|lang=sv}}</ref> | Cabinet | Section 15 § 14 entitled "Krigsförklaring" (2010:1408) of the Instrument of Government | Parliament | The Swedish cabinet (regeringen) may not declare Sweden to be at war without the parliament's (riksdagen) consent unless Sweden is attacked first. |- ! scope=row | Turkey | Parliament | Article 87 and 92 of the Constitution of Turkey | Parliament | The President may declare Turkey to be at war without the parliament's consent if the parliament is adjourned or in recess and Turkey is attacked first. |- ! scope=row | United Kingdom | Monarch<ref>Norton-Taylor, Richard [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/dec/28/uk.military Former defence chiefs oppose role for MPs in war decisions], ''The Guardian''. 28 December 2007. Retrieved on 15 March 2009.</ref><ref>Kettle, Martin. [https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/23/monarchy.iraq A declaration of war on this medieval royal prerogative], ''The Guardian''. 23 August 2005. Retrieved on 15 March 2009.</ref> | None | Monarch<ref name="parliament1">{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199899/cmhansrd/vo990723/debtext/90723-23.htm|title = House of Commons Hansard Debates for 23 Jul 1999 (Pt 23)}}</ref> | See: Declarations of war by Great Britain and the United Kingdom. |- ! scope=row | United States<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historicalresources.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/text-of-declaration-of-war-on-bulgaria-june-5-1942/|title=Text of Declaration of War on Bulgaria – June 5, 1942 – Historical Resources About The Second World War|work=Historical Resources About The Second World War|date=7 August 2008|access-date=27 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sYA4zY1ke6UC&pg=PA45|title=The International Law of Armed Conflict|isbn=9780792315582|access-date=27 March 2015|last1=Kwakwa|first1=Edward|year=1992|publisher=Kluwer Academic Publishers }}</ref><ref>{{USPL|107|40}}</ref> | Congress | Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States | President | See: Declaration of war by the United States. |}
== See also == * Ongoing wars (mostly undeclared) * Frozen conflict * List of wars extended by diplomatic irregularity * Letter of protest * State of emergency * Undeclared war * Feud letter
==Notes== {{notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == * [http://worldatwar.net/timeline/other/diplomacy39-45.html Declarations of war during World War II] * [http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hague03.asp Hague Convention (III) in 1907] defines the protocol for starting hostilities * [http://www.fredsakademiet.dk/tid/1800/1812/us_decleration_of_wars.pdf ''Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications'', US Congressional Research Service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401093511/http://www.fredsakademiet.dk/tid/1800/1812/us_decleration_of_wars.pdf |date=1 April 2012 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Declaration Of War}} Category:Declarations of war Category:Law of war Category:Chronology of war