The Origin of the Red Cross Un souvenir de Solferino

The Origin of the Red Cross: Un Souvenir de Solferino is a pivotal work by Henry Dunant the founder of the International Red Cross. The book originally published in 1862 recounts Dunant’s firsthand experiences during the Battle of Solferino in 1859 where he witnessed the horrific aftermath of a battle between the armies of France and Sardinia against Austria. The battle which left thousands of wounded soldiers without proper medical attention deeply affected Dunant and inspired his efforts to create a humanitarian organization dedicated to aiding those suffering in war.In the book Dunant describes the chaotic scenes of Solferino where there were neither sufficient medical facilities nor organized systems for treating the wounded. He personally assisted in providing aid to the soldiers and was horrified by the lack of care witnessing the suffering of both soldiers and civilians alike. This experience led him to propose a new approach to battlefield medicine: the establishment of neutral impartial teams of medical professionals who would offer aid regardless of the soldiers’ nationality.