the league of nations
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/5/6/30569645/5384076.png?486)
Germany's Kaiser had been overthrown in a revolution in November 1918. US president Woodrow Wilson had wanted a more lenient treaty that would have strengthened democracy in Germany and created conditions more likely to preserve peace. France and Britain, however, wanted to weaken Germany and make her pay for their losses. The Treaty of Versailles created intense bitterness in Germany, but one hope for lasting peace was the formation of the League of Nations. It was Wilson's idea and when it was formed it help promise as a guardian of world peace, after such devastation in Europe for so many centuries. Had it worked, it might have made up for the weaknesses of the rest of the peace settlement (mainly stipulated in the Treaty of Versailles).
The League's main task was to prevent wars. The Covenant of the League was approved at the Versailles Conference in 1919. At first the League had 42 member states, including Australia. It was made up of a General Assembly (all of the member states) and a Council. The General Assembly met once a year but the Council met more urgently to deal with urgent matters. It consisted of Permanent Members (Britain, France, Italy, Japan) and Non-Permanent members (all the other member states).
The League's main task was to prevent wars. The Covenant of the League was approved at the Versailles Conference in 1919. At first the League had 42 member states, including Australia. It was made up of a General Assembly (all of the member states) and a Council. The General Assembly met once a year but the Council met more urgently to deal with urgent matters. It consisted of Permanent Members (Britain, France, Italy, Japan) and Non-Permanent members (all the other member states).
The League never had the power to achieve its aim of preventing major wars. It could order parties in a conflict to negotiate in the Assembly, where aggressors could be warned. If that failed, the League could take steps such as ordering a trade embargo to hurt the aggressor nation's economy. The League could threaten military action against an aggressor. But it had no military force of its own and could not compel its members to provide forces. In any case, any decision of the Council or Assembly had to be unanimous. So any country could prevent the League from taking action. A further major weakness was that some important nations were not League members. The US Congress refused to endorse the Treaty of Versailles so the United States did not join the League. Germany was not allowed to join until 1926 and Russia did not join until 1934. Germany and Japan both left in 1933 and Italy quit in 1937.
Despite its failure, the League was an important first attempt at internationalism and to design a world organisation that prevents war. After the great suffering caused by World War 1, there was worldwide public support for the idealistic aims of the League. The aims of the League included; to counter held claims that way was/is glorious, collective security, disarmament, negotiation through diplomacy, improved labour conditions, just treatment of native inhabitants, human and drug trafficking, arms trade, global health, prisoners of war, and protection of minorities in Europe to name a few. The establishment of the League of Nations would pave the way for the success of the United Nations, however this was brought to a abrupt halt by outbreak of World War 2 and rise to power of the Nazis and other ideologies. |
QUESTIONS
1) Explain what the following terms mean:
a) Kaiser
b) internationalism
c) diplomacy
d) ideologies (ideology)
2) What were the main aims/goals of the League of Nations?
3) Was the League successful in achieving their objectives?
4) Study [Source 1]. Is it a fair assessment that none of the founding nations were the aggressors in either World War 1 or 2. With this in mind, what does this tell us about the effects that League of Nations and internationalism had on Europe?
5) Look closely at [Source 2].
a) Describe the way the League of Nations is described in the cartoon?
b) Explain the message of the cartoon relating to what you have just read
1) Explain what the following terms mean:
a) Kaiser
b) internationalism
c) diplomacy
d) ideologies (ideology)
2) What were the main aims/goals of the League of Nations?
3) Was the League successful in achieving their objectives?
4) Study [Source 1]. Is it a fair assessment that none of the founding nations were the aggressors in either World War 1 or 2. With this in mind, what does this tell us about the effects that League of Nations and internationalism had on Europe?
5) Look closely at [Source 2].
a) Describe the way the League of Nations is described in the cartoon?
b) Explain the message of the cartoon relating to what you have just read