Origins of the League of Nations

❖ Origins of the League of Nations

• The horrors of World War 1 convinced many leaders, most notably President Woodrow Wilson, that only a League of Nations committed to the ‘collective security’ of the world could ensure lasting peace and prevent another worldwide war.
• When World War 1 ended, Europe was left in a state of political instability and the balance of power had fallen apart.
• – Four European imperial powers had collapsed: Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia.
• – Various nationalist movements in Europe were clamoring for independence and the formation of new nation-states further added a sense of insecurity in political relations.
• – This uncertainty prompted many leaders to form a League of Nations to harmonise relations and create a new balance of power between countries.
• In his Fourteen Points, President Wilson intended to pursue peace through an association of nations that would work towards maintaining political independence of big and small states.
• The Conference thus established the League of Nations when the first part of the Versailles Treaty was signed on 28 June 1919. Although Wilson was the main supporter in the formation of the League, the US never became a member.