Maritime conflict management is the regulation of conflict in relation to the sea. It comprises conflict enforcement, conflict resolution and conflict avoidance. How did victims of maritime conflicts claim and obtain damages or demand compensation or reparation? The articles in this issue aim to shed light on this question from two distinct yet related perspectives: that of the aggressor and the victim, on the one hand, and that of the political entities to which they belonged, on the other. The articles, covering seven centuries, reveal connections and entanglements between private parties and public authorities, demonstrating the importance of both for the development of maritime conflict management. Taken together these contributions provide evidence for the gradual development of maritime conflict management, diplomacy and norms for international law.