"From the very early stages in the development of international law, the nature of the state-centric international system has dictated that law play second fiddle to the hard realities of power politics. War Crimes and Realpolitik explores the evolution and operation of the international criminal justice system, highlighting the influences of politics." "Maogoto takes the reader behind the scenes of the conflict between justice and realpolitik. Showing how states, in furthering their political agendas, sometimes hinder the enforceability of international criminal law, he delineates the state interests that often control international legal norms and institutions and even manipulate public perceptions. Ranging from the period just after World War I to the recent establishment of the International Criminal Court, he provides a thorough exposition of the politics and processes of international penal institutions in the state-driven international system."--BOOK JACKET.