The right of conquest is the purported right of a conqueror to territory taken by force of arms. It is sometimes considered a principle of international law. A right is the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled or a thing to which one has a just claim. ... A conquest is the act of conquering a foreign land, usually for its assimilation into a larger federation or empire. ... A territory is a defined area (including land and waters), usually considered to be a possession of an animal, person, organization, or institution. ... In the field of law, the word force has two main meanings: unlawful violence and lawful compulsion. ... International law, is the body of law that regulates the activities of entities possessing international personality. Traditionally, that meant the conduct and relationships of states. ...

Its defenders state that the acknowledgement of this right is simply an acknowledgement of the status quo, and that denial of the right is meaningless unless one is able and willing to use military force to deny it. Furthermore, they note that granting such a right promotes peace, since it removes the justification for many wars by denying the legitimacy of violating the borders of a nation's de facto area of control. Also, historically strength in battle and fitness to command were not considered separate, (see Trial by Combat, and The Divine Right of Kings.) Look up Status quo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present current, existing state of affairs. ... The concept of peace ranks among the most controversial in our time. ... War is essentially the opposite of peace. ... Border has several different, but related meanings: // Generic borders A border can consist of a margin around the edge of something, such as a lawn, garden, photograph, or sheet of paper. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... The Judicial Duel. ... The Divine Right of Kings is a European political and religious doctrine of political absolutism. ...

Some argue that the idea comes from the fact that there have historically been few "good" leaders, (see King Richard I and Pope Alexander VI.) Conquest proved great military strength, and defence was considered one of the most important elements required of a king (see Lord Protector). Someone appealing to the right of conquest was most likely planning on standing as regent, rather than just robbing a land of its riches (like the Vandals and Mongols are regarded as having done). Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... Alexander VI, (Rodrigo Borgia) (January 1, 1431 – August 18, 1503) pope (1492-1503), is the most memorable of the secular popes of the Renaissance. ... The Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland was the title of the head of state during part of the Commonwealth period. ... // High public office A regent, from the Latin regens who reigns is anyone who acts of head of state, especially if not the Monarch (who has higher titles). ... The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century and created a state in North Africa, centered on the city of Carthage. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, tone, style, and voice). ...

Its critics respond that it rewards military aggression and thus may serve to promote rather than prevent war. Aggression is sometimes used for beneficial purposes, for instance, by inducing intimidation and coercion during extremely rigorous physical training. ...

Modern-day examples where the right of conquest might be appealed to include the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Tibet, mainland China and Israel. For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: Xīzàng or 藏区 Zàngqū [the two names are used with different connotations; see Names section below]) is a region in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... In this map of China, the light-coloured areas represent Mainland China, while yellow coloured area refers to Taiwan. ...

See also

• Fait accompli
• Status quo ante bellum
• Revanchism