Why was the League of Nations created?

• Britain was positive about the League, but its priority was its individual strength
• France wanted to be protected by the League
• The USA wanted unity to protect against future wars
• The League of Nations was responsible for bringing the world together in peace. It was to be a group of countries that would work together and solve problems, like a world parliament
• Countries would work together to achieve four aims:

  Prevent future wars

  Encourage disarmament

  Improve working conditions

  Tackle deadly diseases
• The League had 42 members in 1919 and 58 by 1934. There were four members of the council that made big decisions, Britain, France, Italy and Japan
• The Senate of the USA refused to join due to seeing too many die in WWI, and they wanted to isolate themselves from Europe
• The League was based in Switzerland, Geneva, because it was a peaceful country due to it not taking part in WWI, also the Red Cross was based there
• Britain and France were suspicious of Communism so Russia couldn’t join. The Lorcano treaty was signed in 1925 to allow Germany to join but when Hitler gained power he left again. Japan and Italy left in the early 1930s
• Lloyd George was critical of the League but issued the Fontainebleau Memorandum saying he accepted it. Britain saw it as an opportunity to expand their empire
• France was happy with the League as it had protection from Germany
• Originally the League would work through protective security
• In 1920 an international court was set up to set a few worldwide laws to keep the peace
• The League would deal with aggression through

  Mitigation - talking through problems

  Moral condemnation - shaming

  Economic sanctions - no trade with problematic countries