Open city

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/open-city

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the legal basis?Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions prohibits attacks on non-defended localities
2. What is the historical context?Concept gained prominence during World War I as a humanitarian measure
3. Why would a city choose to become an open city?It is chosen to protect its people and historic buildings from being destroyed in war.
4. How does an open city get protected by law?International rules, like the Geneva Conventions, say that places that are not defended should not be attacked.

Belligerents: Nations or groups actively engaged in warfare with each other.
Indiscriminate violence: Attacks that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, or between military and civilian objects.
Humanitarian law: The body of international law designed to limit the effects of armed conflict by protecting persons who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities.