Red Cross Founded
Henry Dunant founded the International Committee of the Red Cross after witnessing the Battle of Solferino
February 17, 1863
Born from the Horrors of War
The International Red Cross was founded in 1863, inspired by a Swiss businessman named Henry Dunant. In 1859, Dunant witnessed the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy, where tens of thousands of soldiers lay wounded and dying with almost no medical care. He organized local villagers to help the wounded from both sides and later wrote a book about what he saw. His account shocked Europe and sparked a movement. In 1863, Dunant co-founded the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, establishing the principle that wounded soldiers and medical workers deserved protection in war.
The Geneva Conventions
The Red Cross's founding directly led to the first Geneva Convention in 1864, signed by 12 nations. It established rules protecting wounded soldiers, prisoners of war, and medical personnel — the beginning of modern international humanitarian law. The red cross symbol on a white background became a universally recognized sign of protection. Over the following century, the Geneva Conventions were expanded and strengthened, eventually covering the treatment of civilians in wartime. The Red Cross also created national societies in countries around the world, coordinating disaster relief, blood drives, and humanitarian aid during both war and peace.
A Global Humanitarian Force
Today the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is one of the largest humanitarian networks on Earth, with operations in nearly every country. It responds to natural disasters, armed conflicts, and public health crises. It traces prisoners of war and missing persons and delivers aid to millions. Henry Dunant received the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 for his role in creating it. The organization's founding principle — that human dignity must be protected even in the worst of times — remains as relevant today as it was in 1863.