The document summarizes key weaknesses of the League of Nations that contributed to its inability to prevent World War 2 from breaking out in Europe. Specifically, it notes that the League had (1) structural weaknesses without an army or means to enforce sanctions, (2) lacked full membership from major powers like the US and USSR, and (3) failed to prevent German and Italian expansionism in the cases of Manchuria in 1931 and Abyssinia Crisis of 1935-1936, demonstrating the inability of collective security to deter strong nations.

1. Weakness of the League of Nations
Hitler’s expansionist policy
Policy of appeasement

2.  Weakness of the League of Nations
 Hitler’s expansionist policy
 Policy of Appeasement

3.  Formed at the end of WW1
 Aims
◦ Collective Security
◦ Disarmament

4.  After WW1, there was nobody/ no country in
dominance in Europe
 Peace in Europe was built on the Treaty of
Versailles and the League of Nations
 By 1935, the League had suffered many
blows to its credibility
 Although it was officially dissolved in 1946,
it had become useless long before that

5.  Reasons of the Weakness of the League
◦ Structural Weakness
 Seen as a league for victors
 Ineffective against strong nations
 No army
 Economic sanctions unenforced
◦ Limited membership
 USA not in
 USSR not in until 1934
◦ Post-war attitudes of major powers
 Pacifist mentality (“nua”/slack mode)
 USA isolationism policy

6.  Manchuria in 1931
 Failure of Disarmament
 Abyssinian Crisis 1935 - 6

7. The problem with talks of disarmament was that it
was too vague (unclear).
o Article 8 (of LON): “The members of the
League recognize that the maintenance
of peace required that reduction of
national armaments to the lowest point
consistent with national safety and the
enforcement by common action of
international obligations.”

8. o The agreement said that
countries could keep a
minimum level of arms needed
for self-defence…
o BUT, it was not at all clear what
this level was.
o A Disarmament Commission was
set up to persuade countries to
get rid of their weapons…
o BUT, the Commission had no
way of forcing countries to
disarm.

9. Organised by
the League?
Success? Details
Washington Naval
Conference (1921)
NO YES Set a ratio for tonnage of capital ships among
major powers
Locarno Treaties
(1925)
NO Y/N Terms of the Treaty of Versailles accepted by
the Weimar government
League
Commission to
prepare for World
Disarmament
Conference (1926)
YES NO Britain and France refused to cooperate
Kellogg-Briand
Pact (1928)
NO NO Agreement that conflicts should be resolved
in a peaceable manner. However, no clear
way to enforce pact.
World
Disarmament
Conference (1932-
1934)
YES NO Germany insisted other powers should
match its disarmament level.
France, Britain and USA refused.
Germany resigned from the Conference and
the League.

10.  Success achieved in disarmament were achieved
through the efforts of individual major powers
 Powerful countries had the military capacity for
war, and the League could not stop them from
engaging in conflicts
 Major powers refused to cooperate when the
League organised major disarmament
conferences in 1926 and the 1930s
 Major powers did not trust each other and placed
own national interests above international peace

11. A most spectacular
failure
Example of Failures

12.  Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935 for its natural
resources
 The League imposed sanctions, banning all
Italian exports and stopping loans
 The League however did not stop the export
of oil to Italy
◦ Oil is perhaps the most important raw material to
have
◦ Did not want to hurt economic interests of
important members
A most spectacular
failure

13.  Were allies with Italy
under Stresa Front, so
did not want to offend
Mussolini.
 Did not close the Suez
Canal to Italian
ships—Italy could ship
war supplies to
Abyssinia
 Hoare-Laval Plan: to
secretly give two-
thirds of Abyssinia to
Italy to stop invasion

14. THE AWFUL WARNING
We don’t want you to fight,
But, by jingo if you do,
We shall probably issue a joint
memorandum
Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.

15. • It was slow to react
• A country could get its own way if it ignored
the LON
• Collective security' was useless against big
countries
• Great powers within the League were happy
to ignore it
• Even Britain and France would betray the
League

16. Was the LON too weak to maintain peace in the
1930s?

17. Which one
of these
reasons do
you think
illustrates
the
League’s
greatest
weakness?

20.  We learnt that in Chapter 1.
What is important in this Chapter is the
examples which showcased why the LON was
weak.
 Failure of Disarmament
 Abyssinia Crisis

21. Or was it other factors?
So…. did the failure of the
LON lead to the outbreak
of WWII in Europe?