Failure of Disarmament

Failure of Disarmament

• Disarmament: was seen as the most effective step in preventing another world war and to establish world peace – by disallowing the development of defence or weaponry.
• League not able to achieve much success in this area as successes in disarmament were the result of individual major European powers
• International relations were determined by powerful nations that acted individually & still having a military capacity for war; there was nothing to stop them from engaging in conflict.
• European powers not always cooperative, and at times, took matters into their own hands.
• When League attempted to organise disarmament conferences in 1926 and the 1930s, the major powers refused to cooperate.
• There was an unwillingness to disarm as it would expose the vulnerability of the state against foreign attacks and conflicts; they did not trust each other and wanted to ensure they had the ability to protect their own national interests.

❖ Attempts at disarmament during 1920s and 1930s

i. 1921 Washington Naval Conference (Success)

• Successfully negotiated outside League & organised by US (non-League member)
• Set the following powers ratio for tonnage of capital ships:

Country	Britain	US	Japan	France	Italy
Ratio of capital ships	5	5	3	1.67	1.67

ii. 1925 Locarno Treaties (Partial Success):

• Negotiated outside League between Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia
• Belgian and French borders were guaranteed by Germany
• Weimar government accepted demilitarisation of Rhineland and agreed to settle any disputes with these countries through the League

iii. 1926 League Commission to prepare for World Disarmament Conference (Failure)

• Britain and France refused to cooperate

iv. 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact (Failure)

• Initiated by US Secretary of State, Frank Kellogg, and French Foreign Minister, Aristide Briand.
• Negotiated outside League between 15 countries including US, France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Japan.
• Agreement that all conflicts should only be resolved by pacifist means, but no clear way to enforce the pact.

v. 1932-1934 World Disarmament Conference (Failure)

• Germany insisted on matching the level of the armament of other powers whilst France refused to limit their own armaments.
• Britain and US also refused to commit at a level requested by France.
• Hitler withdrew Germany from both the conference and League.

• Failure of disarmament showed the importance of US involvement; the US commanded much more respect than the League itself which was made up of weakened European states.
• Britain and France were the only two nations capable of enforcing the League’s will.
• However, they were limited by their own interests & severely weakened by WWI & the Depression.
• Their refusal to reduce armed forces and unwillingness to compromise meant no meaningful progress in League towards disarmament.
• Atmosphere of distrust and tension continued and eventually led to WWII.