In political science neutrality is defined as the right of free and independent option for each state to participate in or to keep aloof from a war between other states. It is a natural attribute of the sovereign right of each state that, according to unanimous expert opinion, presupposes an equilibrium of power preventing the strong from imposing on the weak, Its origin is generally ascribed to the jealousy of belligerents wanting to prevent a third state from becoming an ally of their enemy ies and to the interest and desire of such a third state to continue its peaceful trade with both parties.
Until the beginning of the 19th century political motives played an important part in the development of neutrality as was exemplified by the "league of armed neutrality" of 1780 and 1800. It needed the rulings of the American courts formulating the conduct of American neutrals during the Napoleonic wars to establish the legal principles of neutrality.
But also during the 19th century renewed attempts were made for a political approach to neutrality when for instance the German Ambassador Count Bernstoff proposed in 1870 to Lord Granville a "benevolent neutrality" as regards trade in arms and munitions, Gradually, however, neutrality becarhe a generally adopted notion of international law with rigid rules which in time became duly codified. From then on neutrality wus no longer a matter of policy or conviction but became a fixed institution. In practice the question no longer arose whether a country wanted to be neutral but how the countries not directly involved in a war were to exercise their rights and discharge their duties of neutrality.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.