The modern law of armed conflicts is based on customs and traditions and human experience of armed conflicts over the centuries, all of which have developed over the years into international customary and treaty law, and they represent the main sources of the same law. According to the traditional understanding, war is a struggle between states with the intention of making war. In accordance with this understanding, until the adoption of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the international law of war was constructed as a set of rules that are applied in an armed struggle between states that has the significance of war. The Geneva and Hague Conventions are the starting points of the modern law of armed conflict, both dealing with the practical aspects of war. The Geneva Conventions protect the victims of armed conflicts, and the Hague Conventions contain restrictions and prohibitions on the means and methods of warfare. The aim of the law of armed conflict is to reduce as much as possible the suffering, loss and damage caused by war.