Biography henry dunant

Henry Dunant was a businessman born in Geneva in 1828. In 1859, he traveled to northern Italy on business, in search of Napoleon III. There, he witnessed the battle of Solferino, a confrontation that pitted French and Piedmontese forces against Austrians. Dunant was shocked by what he saw: more than 40,000 dead and wounded lying on the battlefield, with hardly any medical care because the military services were overwhelmed.

Upon returning to Geneva, Dunant reflected on what had happened in his book, A Memory of Solferino. “So much agony, so much suffering! The wounds, aggravated by the heat, the lack of water and assistance, caused more intense pain,” he wrote. And he asked a question:

            “Could not voluntary aid societies be founded, whose function would be to provide, or arrange to provide, help for the wounded during wartime?”

The answer was the creation, in 1863, of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Through this committee, a conference was held in 1864,

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“There is no man who more deserves this honor, for it was you, 40 years ago, who set on foot the international organization for the relief of the wounded on the battlefield. Without you, the Red Cross, the supreme humanitarian achievement of the 19th century would probably have never been undertaken.”

These were the official congratulations that Jean Henry Dunant received in 1901, when the International Committee presented him with the first-ever Nobel Peace Prize for his integral role in the establishment of the Red Cross, as well as the inception of what would become known as the Geneva Conventions.

Jean Henri Dunant in 1901

Jean Henry Dunant’s life was a series of ups and downs. Born on May 8, 1828 into a wealthy Calvinist Swiss family, he died alone on October 30, 1910 in

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Henry Dunant

Swiss co-founder of the Red Cross (1828–1910)

Henry Dunant (born Jean-Henri Dunant; 8 May 1828 – 30 October 1910), also known as Henri Dunant, was a Swiss humanitarian, businessman, social activist, and co-founder of the Red Cross. His humanitarian efforts won him the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

Dunant was born in Geneva to a devout Calvinist family and had business interests in French Algeria and Tunisia. In 1859, while on his way to petition Napoleon III, he witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy. Horrified by the suffering of the wounded and the lack of care they received, Dunant took the initiative to organize the local population in providing aid for the soldiers. After returning to Geneva, he recorded his experiences in the book A Memory of Solferino, in which he advocated the formation of an organization that would provide relief for the wounded without discrimination in times of war. In February 186