The League of Nations: Strengths and Weaknesses

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Some may reason that the League of Nations was a success while other would state it was a entire failure. but. failure or non. the construct was far in front of its clip. But however. the administration had assorted defects that contributed to its ruin. The League was created merely because Woodrow Wilson demanded it. in 1919 after the terminal of World War I. It was to advance international peace and righteousness. Wilson wanted states to speak out their jobs alternatively of fall backing to force and war. It was made of 42 states and by the 1930s. the figure rose to sixty. There were assorted defects in the League. but it still achieved many things in its short life. The League of Nations had four chief maps: to halt war from of all time go oning once more. disarming. to do the universe a better topographic point by bettering people’s lives. and to implement the Treaty of Versailles.

The League did non halt war from of all time go oning once more ; it is possible that it helped do World War II. but the League did successfully settle two instances that could hold resulted in war. In Corfu. the League managed to acquire Italy to go forth Greece. In 1925. they besides settled dissensions between Greece and Bulgaria. They besides persuaded Yugoslavia to go forth Albania and halt the difference over the Aaland Islands. In trying to settle these differences. the League forced the Greeks to pay Italy money and apologise even though Mussolini was the 1 who invaded Greece. Again. in Bulgaria. the League condemned the Greeks and forced them to go forth. It appeared as if the League sided largely with rich and powerful states. The League could non afford to displease any affluent states. It was as if there was one jurisprudence for the powerful and one for the weak. In the few wars the League managed to halt. they were largely in favor of the powerful states.

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As for disarming. I would state this was one of the factors that led to the ruin of the League. The motivations behind this action are honest but if differences happened. the League had no manner of covering with them. The Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928 which was signed by 65 states and outlawed war. was wholly ignored. In the 30’s. the League’s disarming negotiations came to a arrest. Germany refused to hold because they wanted quality with Great Britain and France. The League had four powers. The Power of the Covenant which kindly reminded states that they had promised to obey the League’s regulations. The Power of Condemnation which said if any states broke a regulation. the conference had the power to agitate their caput and frown disapprovingly.

The Power of Arbitration made the League into councilors who would listen to angry states and assist settle their jobs. Last. with the Power of Sanctions. the League could halt other states from trading with it. This was their most influential power but it was perfectly useless. When Japan was being “naughty” . the League applied the Power of Ssanctions which would hold devastated Japan because they have had no natural resources and that would hold stopped them. ExceptHowever. states continued to merchandise with Japan because their economyies was dependent on the Japanese. Again. when Hitler came into power and began occupying little. weak states formed from self-government ; the League didn’t have the power to protect them.

The League did. nevertheless. manage to do the universe a better topographic point. They did non get rid of bondage wholly but they freed 200. 000 slaves in Africa and Burma. The League significantly cut down on leprosy and malaria which could hold killed 1000000s of people. They housed. Federal and dealt with over a million Prisoners of war. Made drugs illegal and shut down four big pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland. The League helped Austria and Hungary with their fighting economic system.

To implement the Treath of Versailles. the League forced Germany to pay reparations and made sure they followed the regulations. Great Britain. France and Belgium invaded and forced Germany to pay. In 1923. Germany stopped paying. Britain and Belgium did non occupy and merely France went in. The League of Nations gave the Germans no ground to esteem and hold with them. The League took control of Saar and demiliterized Rhineland which made the German’s really vulnerable. In the beginning. the League didn’t even let Germany to fall in.

Representation was frequently a job among the League. The thought was to embrace all the states of the universe but most of them ne’er joined. The League was chiefly made up of European states. The chief powers were France. Great Britain. Italy and Japan. The General Assembly which included all states. merely met one time a twelvemonth. Almost all determinations were left in the custodies of the four major powers. The greatest failing of the League. was it’s deficiency of the United Sates of America. This took away most of the League’s possible power. At that clip. the United States was one of the taking states in economic system and wealth. Since the United States refused to fall in the League. the two most of import members were UK and France who frequently disagreed with one another.

The League was made up of largely members from the Alliance whom all had biasts towards the Axis. This biast caused many Axis to fight in seeking to reconstruct their states. One of the most of import failings. was that the four powers acted in ways that their states could profit. Most of them acted in their ain states involvements and really few were committed to the ends of the League. Even though there were four powers. UK and France were the cardinal figures. To go through anything in the League. it needed unamity and all states had to hold. This made it hard for them to accomplish anything. The conference was frequently indecisive and needed unanimouse ballots. This made reaction to jobs slow. inconclusive and non really effectual. Sometimes. impossible.

In decision. the League of Nations had it’s strong points and failings. Though they did non accomplish much during their short life. the thought entirely should hold been an accomplishment. The construct of states working together to accomplish universe peace was impossible. The League did non hold its ain power but was chiefly dependent on the parts of other states. The dependence on states caused some determinations to be unjust and prejudice. Though the League of Nations was destroyed during World War II. it gave birth to the United Nations which today. still helps maintain universe peace.

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