Failure of the League of Nations

The League of Nations

• Aim was to prevent war and resolve conflicts diplomatically and peacefully
• Included in Woodrow Nilson's 14 points
• Largely supported in order to maintain peace
• League Covenant was written into Treay of Versailles, and so all that signed also became members of the League
• 26 articles within the Covenant
• Article X was most important:  "all members undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and political independence of all members of the League" 
• Idea of collective security - if one country was under threat then all countries must protect it, like a giant alliance
• Money and military would have to be sacrificed if one nation under threat
• Also dealt with economic and humanitarian problems
• Included mandate commisions, drugs department, refugee department, slavery comission, International Court of Justice, International Labour Organisation

Absence of Major Powers:

• USA did not join, Germany and USSR excludedExclusion of Germany and USSR created tension instead of reconciliation, no chance of discussion and negotiation
• Once USSR and Germany had recovered from war, could become a major threat when it wanted to regain territory
• Treaty of Rapallo caused major threat to the League as both major powers…