Parley

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A parley (from French: parler – "to speak") is a discussion or conference, especially one designed to end an argument or hostilities between two groups of people. As a verb, the term can be used in both past and present tense; in present tense the term is referred to as parleying.^[1][2][3][4] In some cases, opposing parties would signal their intent to invoke parley by using a white flag,^[5] however the use of a white flag to invoke or request parley is not considered mandatory.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, a formal system of parley developed to be used mainly when one army wished to surrender to another, when arranging the exchange of prisoners, or before a battle to seek a negotiated resolution. Attacking an enemy during a parley was considered one of the grossest breaches of the rules of war, on the same level as shooting prisoners. The British Army was accused of multiple parley violations during the American Revolutionary War, specifically arresting Continental Army officers engaged in negotiations as traitors in addition to hanging uniformed despatch riders as spies. The Continental Army was likewise accused of similar crimes, including the deliberate targeting of officers during battles in order to demoralize the soldiers under their command ^[6]

The term parley has been used to refer to numerous high-profile meetings of the 20th century, including the London and Paris Conferences held in 1954 to determine the status of West Germany.^[7]