Surrender (military)

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Surrender (military)

Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers.

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Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag

White flag

White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale....
is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.

When the parties agree to terms the surrender may be conditional, i.e. if the surrendering party promises to submit only after the victor makes certain promises. Otherwise it is a surrender at discretion (unconditional surrender); the victor makes no promises of treatment other than those provided by the laws and customs of war

Laws of war

The law of war is law concerning acceptable practices relating to war. In cases other than civil wars, it is considered an aspect of public international law ....
— most of which are laid out in the Hague Conventions (1907) and the Geneva Conventions

Geneva Conventions

The Geneva Conventions consist of four treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for international law for humanitarian concerns....
. Normally a belligerent will only agree to surrender unconditionally if completely incapable of continuing hostilities.

The Third Geneva Convention

Third Geneva Convention

The Third Geneva Convention of 1949 , one of the Geneva Conventions, is a treaty agreement that primarily concerns the treatment of prisoners of war , and also touched on other topics....
states that prisoners of war should not be mistreated or abused. United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
policy states that surrendered persons should be treated according to the "5 S's" until turned over to higher authority.

Silence: so that they cannot plan an escape attempt.
Search: for weapon
Weapon

A weapon is a tool used to apply or threaten to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack or defense in combat, subduing enemy personnel, or to destroy enemy weapons, equipment and defensive structures....
s or items of intelligence value.
Secure: tie up and/or guard carefully at all times, particularly at first.
Safeguard: do not allow the dangers of the battlefield to hurt them
Separate: soldiers from officers, men from women, combatant
Combatant

A combatant is someone who takes a direct part in the hostilities of an armed conflict. If a combatant follows the law of war, then they are considered a privileged combatant, and upon capture they qualify as a prisoner of war under the Third Geneva Convention ....
s from civilian
Civilian

A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces. The term is also often used colloquially to refer to people who are not members of a particular profession or occupation, especially by law enforcement agency, which often use rank structures similar to those of military units...
s, to make them easier to control.

Entire nations can also surrender in an attempt to end a war or military conflict. This is done through the signing of an armistice

Armistice

An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace....
, an unconditional capitulation or peace treaty

Peace treaty

A peace treaty is an agreement between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends an armed conflict. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to cease hostilities, or a surrender , in which an army agrees to give up arms....
.

Surrender (military)

See also