Knossos Conventions

The Knossos Conventions are rules establishing international standards for warfare, signed in 51 AEE in Knossos, during the First Conference of the Great Powers' Club. All four kingdoms of the club are obliged to follow these rules, though all the other military forces are also encouraged to do so in order to gain favor with the major powers.

## Terms of the Conventions

The idea was first proposed by Burnaburiash III of Karduniash and quickly supported by all other participating kings. However, in order to get Ramesses X's of Egypt support, an amendment was introduced which excluded the treatment of terrorist organizations of the highest threat level from the conventions, allowing to deal the country with such organizations how they wished. This was mostly due to Ramesses X still being wary of another terrorist group arising like the Sons of Montu, which had caused havoc in Egypt for over a decade.

The terms of the Conventions were such:

* No poisons are to be used in battles.
* Surrendering soldiers are to be taken as prisoners of war and not killed.
* Prisoners of war are to be treated for their wounds and given sufficient food while they're in captivity.
* War prisoner camps are to fulfill at least minimal safety and health conditions.
* All remaining prisoners of war are to be returned to the home country immediately after the war.
* Excessive torture of anyone is never to be used.
* Temples are not to be destroyed or desecrated.
* Armies are to damage cities or any other settlements as little as possible, except walls and fortresses.
* Captured cities are to retain at least 70% of their populations, villages - at least 50%.
* At least half of food supplies in captured regions are to not be taken and are to be left to the local population.
* People in captured regions are to not be raped.
* Children in captured regions are not be taken.

During the Damascus Peace Conference in 76 AEE, after the OFK-EC War, the rulers agreed on modifying the Conventions and ratifying the new version. Most terms remained the same, with the major exception being a new clause prohibiting the use of military explosives against civilians, war captives, and objects of high historical or religious value, as the use of explosives had become much more common during the war which had just ended.

## Assyrian war crimes

**Spoiler warning: this section contains spoilers for the novels The Rise of Kemet and The March of Deshret.**

While this treaty has been signed by all the major powers, many doubted that it would be completely upheld by all powers, especially Assyria, if war once again began between the kingdoms.

This was proven correct during the Great Powers' War, where the powers all committed some crimes, but Assyria was by far the most notable culprit. The Assyrians committed war crimes such as:

* The execution of thousands of prisoners of war during the Sack of Dur-Kurigalzu and after the Battle of Eshnunna.
* Massacres of civilians in Dur-Kurigalzu, Eshnunna, Babylon, and many other Assyrian occupied cities.
* The complete destruction of the cities of Dur-Kurigalzu, Tushpa, Kumaha, and others.
* Many counts of rape by soldiers during the Sack of Dur-Kurigalzu and the Siege of Babylon.
* The taking of thousands of women and children into slavery after the Sack of Dur-Kurigalzu.
* Destruction of temples and other religious sites in Babylon.
* Torture of war prisoners and civilians.

For these crimes, some Assyrian officers and soldiers were tried in the OFK and in EC territories after the OFK-EC War, with most defendants in the EC trials having been found guilty and so receiving the death sentence. However, by that point the main culprits of these crimes - generals and the king himself Tiglath-Pileser - had already been killed during the war or received a pardon from the other rulers.