In 1594, at the age of 11, Grotius started his studies at Leiden University. Once graduated, he served as a lawyer in the Netherlands until he was arrested in 1618 and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1621 he escaped to Paris, where he wrote De Jure Belli ac Pacis (On the Law of War and Peace, 1625) for which many consider him to be the father of international law. In this book he expounded his ideal of a system of laws, rules and treaties for all nations, and moral duties of nations to strive for altruism in relations with other states.
For a biography of Hugo Grotius,
For an electronic version of De Jure Belli ac Pacis
For a list of major works of and resources on Hugo Grotius
