Why America didn't join the league of nations.

Why America didn't join the league
Although the League of Nations was much of the work of President Woodrow Wilson America never joined the League of Nations. This was for several reasons, firstly America had suffered casualties in the war, and many people in the USA wanted to keep America out of European affairs. This policy was called isolationism. Joining the league meant that this might involve having to do things that might set back the economy or damage America otherwise. America had had enough of wars and dealing with other countries problems. They also had little or no support for British or French policies or the Treaty of Versailles, which they refused to accept. So although when the League was actually being formed Woodrow Wilson still backed America joining it, by this time and, despite Wilson, America never joined the League.

The League of Nations in the 1930s

The Disarmament Conference in Geneva 1930-1932 failed.
Germany was angry that no other nations were forced to disarm and withdrew from the conference. Countries were expanding their military because of the Depression. There was no trust between countries. The world was not a safe place in the 1930s.

Economic recovery in the 1920s meant that countries were less likely to fight each other. However the effects of the Wall Street Crash and the Depression made the work of the League much more difficult.

Japan Invading Manchuria 1931
First major test for the league.
Japan is now a major power with a strong army and navy, strong industry and growing empire.
Then depression - economy in crisis - Japan couldn't feed people - Army leaders try to build up Japan by force.
China appealed to the league.
Long delay before League of Nations did anything. Set up enquiry under Lord Lytton. Agreed Japan was wrong and Manchuria should return to Japan.
Japan said it would invade more and resigned from the league.
FAILURE
League made excuses like Japan was a special case and so far away.
Sanctions were no good without USA.
Britain wanted to stay on Japan’s good side.
As critics had warned the league was powerless if a strong nation was aggressive.
Hitler and Mussolini followed Japan's example 3 years later.

Mussolini invading Abyssinia 1935
Fatal blow - Italy was a leading member of League of Nations.
Very close to the league - Europe.
Mussolini wanted victories so prepared for a full invasion of Abyssinia.
Britain and France didn't take it seriously and played for time. They wanted to keep on the good side of Mussolini.
Mussolini launched attack (large attacking small).
League decided to impose sanctions but delayed oil imports for 2 months.
Failed to block off the Suez Canal.
Secret dealing between Britain, France and Italy to give Italy 2/3 of Abyssinia if he called of the attack. [The Laval-Hoare Pact] Details leaked to press - disaster ...

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Why did the League of Nations fail?

The League had social successes in the 1920's and solved several disputes but it was a failure in the 1930's.
Economic depression harmed the League of Nations.
Economic recovery had reduced international tension so countries were less likely to fight.
Wall street crash and economic problems ended this and tension rose again.
Leading members put their own interests first.

Britain: High unemployment, didn't want to sort out other problems when it had enough at home.
Japan: Depression lead Japan to take over Manchuria (part of China).
Italy: Mussolini tried to expand empire.

French and British self-interest wouldn't abandon these to support league.
Absent powers like USA and Russia. Lacked authority and sanctions inefficient.
Sanctions were meant to be the League's biggest weapon but without USA they didn't work. Broken easily.
Lack of armed forces. The League of Nations had no armed forces of its own. Britain and France never fought for the league.
Unfair treaties. Too harsh so the league had trouble imposing them.
Reached decisions too slowly. Sanctions didn't work because they.
Were too slow. Met too infrequently.

The League of Nations, a former international organization, was formed after World War I to promote international peace and security. The basis of the League, also called the Covenant, was written into the Treaty of Versailles and other peace treaties and provided for an assembly, a council, and a secretariat. Because the peace treaties had created the League of Nations, the League was bound to uphold their principles. But however, it became apparent that some of the terms of the treaties were harsh and unjust and needed amending. This undermined the league. Woodrow Wilson hoped however, by including it in the treaties that this would ensure that the League was accepted by all nations. However, from the start, the League shared many of the weaknesses of the treaties themselves. The defeated powers were not consulted about the league and were not invited to join. The victorious powers did not really agree among themselves about the League.

A system of colonial commands was also set up. Based in Geneva, the League proved useful in settling minor international disputes, but they had a hard time stopping aggression involving major powers such as, Japan's occupation of Manchuria in 1931, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935-36, and Germany's seizure of Austria in 1938. It collapsed early in World War II and ended in 1946.

Its ending in 1946 was because it had some basic and fundamental problems such as dealing with aggression involving major powers. Countries like Japan and Italy were able to just walk over the League of Nations because it had no armed forces of its own and it relied upon the co-operation of its members. This problem was inter-linked with the fact that the League was very slow at making decisions. With no armed forces this made it difficult to impose decisions. Therefore when a crisis occurred the league was supposed to act fast with resoluteness. Although, often the League met too infrequently and took far too long to make critical decisions. This need for all members to agree on a course of action undermined the strength of the League. The League was too indecisive they needed some influential countries. The absence of the powerful USA and, until 1934, the USSR were felt, this could have been the answer to the League's problems. However these countries did not join and again this contributed the failure of the league, as non-members, they could and did trade with countries facing League sanctions and therefore to a certain extent it was in their own interests to remain detached from such a commitment as the League. Another problem for the League however, was that it was being too closely linked to the victors of the First World War and the Peace Treaties.

Another reason why the league failed was that because one their aims, 'To keep collective security…' failed. Britain and France along with other members were more concerned about their own interests. As a result they were reluctant to get involved in collective security (one of the reasons why Britain and France were reluctant to commit troops to fight for the League of Nations) and their League could not make powerful countries obey their rulings.

The League also failed because there was a lack of unity between Britain and France. They often disagreed and they did not trust each other. With this and the fact decisions had to be unanimous made it almost impossible for the League to make a decision.

The Great Depression that hit the world in the years following the Wall Street Crash also weakened the League. At a time of economic crises it meant that the League had trouble imposing sanctions especially at this time. This meant that countries like Japan and Italy were able to annex other countries without effective punishment.

All these reasons did not fear the likes of Hitler and Mussolini; in fact they gained in confidence. Therefore the failure of the League was really a vicious circle as the basic problems led to other problems and encouraged the rise of powerful nationalist dictators and militaristic governments prepared to ignore the League and to use force.