This links to the overall fear of Communism, sometimes called the ‘disease from the East’. In 1917 Russia had a Communist government and was therefore not allowed to join the League. Politicians in Britain and much of the world feared Communism as one of its main principles was the redistribution of wealth. They also believed that the Russians were strongly opposed to the principle of voluntary free trade, which Britain, a capitalist country, strongly relied on. With Russia being (initially) disallowed from joining the League, Britain saw it as an opportunity for other countries to come together and unite against them. If all of Europe was to join the League, with the exception of Russia and Germany, countries could work together towards a common objective, as opposed to certain countries converting to Communism. This was all in Britain’s favour, as it was believed that if one country succumbed to Communism it would result in a domino effect, with more and more countries turning Communist, and eventually Britain.
Russia was not the only country prevented from joining the League of Nations; Germany was not permitted either. While we now realise that this was a large error, Britain believed that it was the appropriate decision. Although Germany had just lost a war, Britain was still aware that they could one day rebuild their army and take revenge. Some thought that by excluding Germany she would be at a large disadvantage, being unable to vote on issues in the Assembly, while Britain, along with France, was in some ways it’s most influential member. The initial absence of Germany from the League of Nations connects with my next point: enforcing the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles did not please any of the Big Three, including Britain. Britain wanted Germany to recover to an extent so that they could restart trading relations, but the Treaty imposed extremely high reparations, crippling Germany’s economy. However, one aspect of the Treaty that satisfied Britain was the limitations set for Germany’s navy and army. Germany was allowed to have an army of no more than 100,000 men and its navy was limited to 6 battleships, no submarines, 6 cruisers, 12 battleships and 12 torpedo boats. As the enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles was one of the principle aims of the League this increased support for the League in Britain, both for the government and the public. This is because prior to World War One Britain had been involved in a naval arms race with Germany, each of them trying to build the most powerful navy. This meant that theoretically, Britain would not have to fight with Germany for control of the oceans in the coming decades, as Germany would be unable to build a large navy.
As I mentioned previously one of the key purposes of the League was to provide collective security. This is the theory of all states cooperating collectively to provide security for all. This had some advantages and disadvantages for Britain. This meant that if Britain were to need help from other countries (which would’ve been unlikely), all countries would have aided them. However, it also meant that in theory Britain would have to help other countries, even when it would not be to Britain’s advantage. This increased support from some in the government and public, but decreased support from others.
Another benefit to Britain was the temporary control of mandates. After World War One many of Germany’s colonies were taken from her, with their control temporarily transferred to countries like Britain and France. As a permanent member of the council Britain had large participation in the delegation and division of Germany’s colonies. After Britain did join the League a former US State Department official told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that England and France had simply gone ahead and arranged the world to suit themselves. This obviously was a large advantage to Britain as it gave them power in making decisions about the future of the world, as well as temporarily gaining control of the mandates. The League could not undo their decisions either, as they need the agreement of all member-states, including Britain. This brings me to my next point: Britain’s position and membership in the League.
As Britain was arguably the world’s strongest country and had played a crucial role in World War One, if they were to join the League they would become one of only four permanent members. This would give Britain access to the League’s Council and the powerful right to veto. This meant that if the League tried to do anything that Britain did not agree with, they could use their veto and immediately stop it. As Britain was one of the more important member states it would undoubtedly be more influential over the other members and the League’s other bodies. Therefore if Britain was to be involved in a dispute in which they acted unlawfully the League would be powerless, whereas if a small, militarily-weak country was to do the same the League would be able to effectively criticize and control them. This is shown and illustrated in a quote by Mussolini: “The League is very well when sparrows shout but no good when eagles fall out.” The power over member-states that Britain gained in the League was arguably the largest factor which caused support in the British government and public.
Overall, there are many reasons which caused support for the League in Britain, both public and governmental. Britain would have large influence and power within the League, especially when compared with other members. They would have the ability to participate in the delegation and dissection of mandates, as well as gaining control of them. Britain also believed that a League of Nations would help prevent the spread of Communism and the rise of aggressive, destructive countries like Germany. Unfortunately, many of these factors for British support were shown to have been unrealistic in the years 1920-1940. The rise of Hitler and other incidents such as the Abyssinia Crisis showed that the League was essentially powerless, often imposing sanctions on the wrong products, such as coal in the Abyssinia Crisis. In conclusion, there were many reasons that caused support for the League in Britain, however there were also reasons which suggested Britain would be in some ways weakened by joining the League.
