The way to the Antarctic Treaty: System of rules in times of global conflict

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Rack, U.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2019
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247419000731; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247419000731

Abstract In 1940, a PhD was published in Germany about the claiming behaviour of several countries and the whaling industry in Antarctica. It shows already at this time that a need for regulation on that issue was required. The intertwined relationships between the claiming nations demanded an overarching framework where these complex issues could be managed. This paper elaborates on the state of the claiming parties before the 1940s and will demonstrate that the development for a comprehensive regulation was the only way to avoid a global conflict. The doctoral thesis from 1940 will be the focal point of the discussion.