Essay 1.

• Essay Question - “The League of Nations (LoN) was an effective organisation in the 1920s.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
• • Annals of international diplomacy, LoN stands out = audacious experiment (collective security)
  • Conceived end of WWI, purpose = prevent such conflict from reoccurring by fostering dialogue and mutual understanding amongst nations.
  • Its effectiveness = topic of enduring historical debate.
• • Wake of Great war = palpable desire for peace and stability; in this context, the League's creation was an important signal of intent.
• • Z. Steiner → League was a "reflection of the idealistic spirit of the time" which was bent on "building a new world order founded on peace and cooperation" 
• • League's establishment 1920 was followed by successful arbitrations 
  • Resolving conflicts in the land Islands, Upper Silesia, and between Greece and Bulgaria.
  • Early successes enhanced its credibility/demonstrated potential for resolution.
• • However, for every successful arbitration = glaring omissions in the League.
• • One such omission was the United States.
  • M. MacMillan → "the absence of the US, one of the world's foremost powers, undermined the League's authority from the outset" 
  • League's inability to secure American membership was a significant failure.
  • Its Charter called for collective security, yet lacked participation of the country with arguably greatest potential to contribute to global security.
  • League's reliance on unanimous decisions often led to inertia.
  • High-profile disputes, likeItalian Corfu crisis of 1923, exposed limitations.
• • Despite such shortcomings, proponents of League's effectiveness point to its contributions in non-political spheres.
  • P. Clavin → League's work in areas (health, labour rights, and refugee support) "often overshadowed by its political failures” 
  • League facilitated significant cooperation amongst its member states in these domains.
• • Ie. Health Organisation of the LoN coordinated responses to epidemics, and International Labour Organisation (ILO), though separate from League, was integral part of broader cooperative framework the League represented.
  • ILO set labour standards, enhanced communication, and promoted decent work, demonstrating League's effectiveness in fostering international cooperation beyond realm of security.
• • League’s institutional weaknesses undercut its effectiveness.
  • S. Pedersen → League was "a body that depended on the agreement and commitment of its member states"
  • Without a mechanism to enforce resolutions, League found itself unable to translate its ideals into reality.
• • League was Eurocentric; most member states/entire secretariat were European, limiting its global legitimacy.
  • Eurocentrism, combined with inability to enforce decisions, culminated in Manchurian Crisis of 1931-33, a debacle that would herald the beginning of the end for the League