Max Huber and the Red Cross

Yves Sandoz ¹

Abstract

Max Huber's exceptional academic, diplomatic and judicial career prepared him well for his role as president of the ICRC. Huber assumed the presidency in 1928, thereby taking on the heavy burden of piloting the institution during one of the worst periods of history, culminating with the Second World War. In a time of great danger to the fundamental humanitarian values and the unity of the Red Cross, Max Huber played an outstanding role in better identifying and defending the Red Cross principles, keeping the International Red Cross united and promoting humanitarian law. In spite of its important humanitarian activities, the ICRC was powerless to put a halt to the atrocities committed during the War and was subsequently criticized for having been too timid in denouncing them. This article traces Huber's leadership of the ICRC and the important impact his ideas had on the direction of the organization. Max Huber will certainly remain as one of the greatest personalities in the entire history of the Red Cross.

1  Lecturer at the Universities of Geneva and Fribourg; member of the ICRC.

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