The League of Nations was the first intergovernmental organization established January 10th,

1920. The idea introduced by US president Woodrow Wilson as a method to promote

international cooperation and to keep peace after World War 1. The Treaty of Versailles, a treaty

created by the allied countries post-world war on June 28th, 1919 to punish Germany her allies

for the crimes committed during the past 4 years. Although these pre-cautions were taken to

prevent the start of another war. However, less than 20 years after the end of World War 1,

totalitarian leaders were able to take control of their countries and begun expansion into

neighbouring countries. Dictators in Italy, Germany, Russia, and Japan were continuing to grow

their rule unopposed believing there would be no opposition. The League of Nations is to be

held responsible for this. The League having a lack of international authority, interest and

influence1 is what allowed dictators to rise to power in the 1930s and 40s.

The League of Nations lacked the control and command to keep international peace. Totalitarian

leaders begun invading neighbouring countries to gain resources to aiding in their quick

rehabilitation from the Great Depression in the 1930s. in Seeking minerals, fuel, and other raw

materials, the Hirohito lead Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931; By 1937,

Japan controlled a large quantity of Chinese territory and had expanded their invasion.

Committing war crimes such as mistreating prisoners by testing biological weapons.2 The

1 Fenwick, C. G. “The ‘Failure’ of the League of Nations.” The American Journal of International
Law 30, no. 3 (1936), 506–509. https://doi.org/10.2307/2191024.
2 Drea, Edward. “Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Gov. Records.” National Archives,
2006, 38. https://www.archives.gov/ les/iwg/japanese-war-crimes/introductory-
essays.pdf.
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League of Nations sent a small group to Manchuria in the spring of 1932 to survey the situation.

After gathering information in Manchuria, The League of Nations had done little to engage with

the Japanese attack until the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941. Over the 7 years of Japanese rule in

the Chinese provinces, over 150,000 casualties occurred, despite this, the League of Nations had

yet to take action.3

Many sympathized for Germany in the 1930s viewing the Treaty of Versailles as inequitable.

Believing that they should be able to grow their economy as they naturally would.4 This

sympathy allowed Germany to break the Guidelines of the Treaty of Versailles with no resistance

from allied countries. On March 7, 1936, Germany sends over 15,000 troops to the Rhineland;

An area which borders France and Germany was supposed to remain a demilitarized zone.

Britain and France took no action in preventing this.5 This spark is one of the initial steps in

Hitler understanding he is able to continue to break the treaty. March 12, 1938, the Anschluss

occurred joining Austria with Germany stating its purpose being to unite the German-speaking

population. The League of Nations’ detest for war allowed this explanation by Hitler to be

enough to pursued the allies into not taking action. In September of the same year, Hitler

militarized the Sudetenland, once again having little response from the League of Nations. Days

after the militarization of the Sudetenland, Hitler begun lightning warfare on Poland. After 3

3 Drea, Edward. “Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Gov. Records.” 32–58.
4 Goldman, Aaron L. “Sir Robert Vansittart’s Search for Italian Cooperation against Hitler,
1933-36.” Journal of Contemporary History 9, no. 3 (1974), 93–130. http://
www.jstor.org/ stable/260026.
5 Fleming, D. F. “Responsibility for the Second Great War.” The Journal of Politics 2, no. 3
(1940), 278. https://doi.org/10.2307/2125510.

separate militarizations and many direct violations of the Treaty of Versailles, Britain and France

declare war on Germany. However, in attempts to create a swift end to the war. The Munich Pact

was formed September 30, 1938.6 The Munich agreement states Czechoslovakia must have no

military presence in the Sudetenland and surrender the territory to Germany. The Munich

agreement signed by Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy and this was believed to have

successfully stopped the prolonged war. However, in March 1939, Hitler broke the agreement by

occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia.

The League of Nations did little to prevent the Italian campaign and the invasion of Ethiopia.

After the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Benito Mussolini recognized the League of

Nations’ lack of authority and invaded Ethiopia in October, 1935.7 Similarly, scouts were sent by

the League of Nations and no military action took place until March of 1937. Over 2 years of

unrestricted occupation of Italian forces resulted in over 19,000 deaths before the League of

Nations became involved. “Racist atrocities, though widely condemned by individuals and

organizations, passed officially unnoticed by the League of Nations,”8 Even after the Italian

invasion, Britain remained hopeful in the countries aide if there was to be conflict with Germany.

After this hope diminished, the only effort against the Italians was imposing trade sanctions on

6 Fleming, D. F. “Responsibility for the Second Great War.” 287.

7 Fleming, D. F. “Responsibility for the Second Great War.” 279.
8 Pankhurst, Richard. “Italian Fascist War Crimes in Ethiopia: A History of Their Discussion, from
the League of Nations to the United Nations (1936-1949).” Northeast African Studies 6,
no. 1/2 (1999), 83–140.

Italy, as well as forcing Italy out of the League of Nations.9After the failure to respond to the

Italian Campaign the public opinion of the United States viewed the League as a failure.10

The League of Nations had done everything possible to prevent a war. Recovering from the

Great Depression and World War 1 had resulted in many countries not prepared for another war.

This lead to many of the world superpowers’ primary focus was internal affairs and conflicts

which caused the lack of international authority.11 Many leading members of the League of

Nations were not concerned, nor prepared to handle external conflicts. “Nothing less than

Hitler’s furious and endless chain of assaults upon Europe could have induced the British and

French peoples to take up arms so soon again,”12 In other attempts to draw the war away from

Britain and France, European leaders attempted to donate territory to Germany in Africa.13 to

Hitler’s peace rhetoric caused many world leaders such as P.M King to trust him and successfully

fall for his propaganda and lies. Many viewed the League of Nations as too pacifist in nature in

attempts to be-friend dictators14, once again a result of wishing to prevent a large scale war. The

appeasement policy was a British policy in the 1930s allowing Hitler to expand German territory

9 Cranny, Michael, and Garvin, Moles. “Think History: Canadian History since 1914.”
Edited by Anthony Asturi . Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada Inc. (2016), 127.
10 Fenwick, C. G. “The ‘Failure’ of the League of Nations.” The American Journal of
International Law 30, no. 3 (1936): 508-509.
11 Fenwick, C. G. “The ‘Failure’ of the League of Nations.”, 508-509.
12 Fleming, 280-281.
13 Goldman, Aaron L. “Sir Robert Vansittart’s Search for Italian Cooperation against Hitler,
1933-36.” Journal of Contemporary History 9, no. 3 (1974), 93–130. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/
260026.
14 Birn, Donald S. “The League of Nations Union and Collective Security.” Journal of
Contemporary History 9, no. 3 (1974),131-132. http://www.jstor.org/stable/260027.

uncheck while being in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Appeasement was done out of fear

by the allies to be-friend Hitler in ending his invasion after 3 separate attacks in Western Europe.

“ The meaning of appeasement changed. It is not a compromise but a constant reminder to hitler

that he could do whatever he wants.”15 This resulted in Hitler believing he was unrestricted to do

anything with no backlash from the allied force. The League of Nations failed due to the lack of

unity. Britain and France as leading members refused to agree which was fatal to its international

power, “Has not sufficient corporate unity to overcome the conflicts of nationalistic interest

within the dominant group of the great powers.”16

The League of Nations had a lacking international interest, unity and did not respond to

aggression by totalitarian leaders. This resulted in dictators believing they could do anything.

The invasions by Italy, Japan, and Germany were completed with no resistance. The more

actions took against the Treaty of Versailles, the less justifiable does it seem to resist..The

League’s failure resulted in thousands of casualties and paved the path to war. The League of

Nations was not an International Council sworn to keep peace, but a group of individuals in a

futile assembly.

15 Birn, Donald S. “The League of Nations Union and Collective Security.” (1974),141.
16 Fenwick, 508-509.