The Articles of War are a set of regulations drawn up to govern the conduct of a country's military and naval forces.
[4] The naval Articles of War were originally issued by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in 1653 as fighting instructions after defeat at the Battle of Dungeness.
These Articles resulted in the execution of Admiral John Byng, despite a clear sentiment in the navy and in Parliament that he should be given a lower punishment.
[8] The first set of Articles of War for the English Army, from 1707 the British Army, were written under William III (William of Orange) (r.1689–1702), taking the place of the medieval Rules and Ordinances of War, a list of regulations issued by the king at the beginning of every expedition or campaign.
[11] Effective upon ratification in 1789, Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution provided that the Congress has the legislative power to regulate the land and naval forces.