league of nations

The League of Nations

Formally existed from 10 January 1920, as did the Treaty of Versailles.
Was the result of many similar suggestions made during WW1 by world statesmen. Woodrow Wilson, President of USA, was a great sup porter.
42 member states in 1920, 55 by 1926 when Germany was admitted.
Headquarters at Geneva in Switzerland.

Two main aims:

To maintain peace through collective security: if one state attacked another, the member states of the League would act together, collectively, to restrain the aggressor, either by economic or by military sanctions.
To encourage international co-operation in order to solve economic and social problems.

Membership issues.

First few years, League was deprived of three of the world's most important powers:

March 1920 United States rejected both the Versailles Settlement and the League, feared they may become embroiled in another war.

1920's

Initial teething troubles but League seemed to be functioning successfully during the 1920s.
Solve a number of minor international disputes.
1920: Sweden and Finland over the Aaland Islands.
1921: League partitioned Upper Silesia between Germany and Poland.
1925: Greeks invaded Bulgaria but were ordered to withdraw and pay damages.
Significant that none of these decisions went against a major state that could challenge the League's verdict.
1923: Italy led by Mussolini questioned the League decision over Corfu dispute with Greece. League seemed unable or unwilling to respond. Not a promising sign.

Achieved valuable economic and social work - helped thousands of refugees and former prisoners of war to find their way home again.
In 1930 supporters felt optimistic about its future.

1930's

Weaknesses in the Covenant became apparent

Achieving unanimous decisions was difficult.
Had no military force but Article 16 expected member states to supply troops if necessary. After 1923 each member could decide whether or not to fight. Made nonsense of the idea of collective security.

British Conservatives were never enthusiastic about the League. Preferred to sign treaties outside the League. E.g. 1925: Locarno Treaties

1932-3: World Disarmament Conference failed. Germans wanted equality of arms with France, French said this should be postponed for at least eight years. Hitler used this as an excuse to withdraw Germany from the conference and the League.

Authority challenged by extreme right-wing governments of Italy, Japan and Germany.

1931: Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Japan rejected League resolution and withdrew from the League. Britain and France did not want a trade boycott of Japan in case it led to war, which they were ill-equipped to win. Japan defied the League, its prestige was damaged though not yet fatally.
1935: Italian attack on Abyssinia. League condemned Italy and introduced economic sanctions but not oil, coal and steel. Italy completed the conquest in 1936. Sanctions were abandoned. Britain and France must share the blame for the League's failure. Desire to keep Mussolini as an ally but pushed him to Hitler.
Small states lost all faith in the League; and Hitler was encouraged. League was not taken seriously again. Respect for the League declined, its weakness became more apparent.

League members, especially Britain and France, were not prepared to support it either by decisive economic measures or by war. It was only as strong as the determination of its leading members to stand up to aggression. This was sadly lacking.

Not consulted over Germany's disputes with Czechoslovakia (1938) and Poland (1939).

After December 1939 it did not meet again, dissolved in 1946 a total failure, at least as far as preventing war was concerned.