occur. In the end the organization was made as the U.S.A president
preferred it to be.
The League lost a valuable or perhaps the most valuable member, the
U.S.A. the first reason the U.S.A did not join was because most
Americans felt that they should mind their own business. They also
felt it would put an economic stress on them as they would have to
solve international disputes regardless of the cost.
Others disliked France and Britain as a result they did not feel the
need to protect their empire. If they joint the League they would have
to promise to send their army to settle conflicts anywhere in the
world, first of all it was not economically feasible; secondly they
would loose men as a result of war to protect some other country.
The League could not stop functioning because of one country they
first started of with boarder disputes. The conference in Paris had
created many new states.
The first was in 1920 itself, this was the first test for them which
they miserably failed. Poland and Lithuania were two new states; Vilna
was the capital of Lithuania. In 1920 a private polish army took over
Vilna. Even after the League asked Poland to withdraw from Lithuania
they did not. The League could not do any thing as France and Britain
were not ready to send troops into Lithuania.
The next was the clash between Yugoslavian and Albanian forces in 1921
at the border might have caused another war, but the League was quick
to send a commission which determined the fate of the area.
The War of the Stray Dog in 1925 between Greece and Bulgaria was one
the first incidents which sparked forceful action from the League.
After incidents with sentries at the border and military provocation,
war was imminent. The League condemned Greece and ordered Greek
military withdrawal and compensation.
The League also helped in other ways for example in terms of wealth
(1921) Austria and Hungary could not pay the huge amounts of money
they were supposed to, and so were granted a loan by the League of
Nations. This economic aid showed that the League was truly making an
effort.
The Locarno Treaties of 1925, which seemed to be a great success at
the time, actually had no League involvement. This was simply another
failure for the League as it showed their incapability to command the
international community.
I personally think the League failed because it did not have an army
of its own, other members found it difficult to send their troops. The
leading countries were not very clear and dedicated to the purpose of
The League as the U.S.A would have been.
