Why did collective security fail to keep the peace between 1920 and 1935?
What was the League of nations intended to do?
To what extent do you believe the League of Nations was able to accomplish this based on its structure according to the League of Nations Covenant?
Why did collective security fail in 1930s?
TS 1: First and foremost, the League of Nation's reliance on "the goodwill of nations to work" culminated in a faulty foundation from the onset.
CD: The 26 articles of the League's covenant were often ambiguous.
CM: This led to much confusion and division over numerous issues
CM: Hence, more often than not, collective security was held at a standstill while external aggression ensued (ie. Manchurian Crisis)
CD: No formal regulations were mandated defining the use of a League Army; rather, military forces for disciplinary use were merely voluntary.
CM: After the horrors and deprecating losses of WWI, few if any countries were willing to relinquish their troops for use in a "greater cause" that would in turn expose themselves
CM: This led to the League's lack of backbone; not once in its history were military forces used
TS 2: Furthermore, it was evident from the very first territorial disputes in the 1920s that the League of Nations was simply unable to provide consistent follow-through and universal consensus.
CD: Absence of major global powers (such as US)
CM: The collection of members was primarily European
CM: This prevented effective economic sanctions as nonviolent punishment (lacked economic depth)
CM: In addition, smaller member countries were dependent on the League for territorial and economic support, while being fairly unable to provide any stability to the League in return (lacked political depth)
CM: The lack of the "keystone" US in the League also resulted in a deadlocked division between Britain and France, who often argued opposing points. Thus, the "Bridge" was rendered ineffective.
CD: Inconsistent imposition of consequences (Territorial disputes of 1920s, Manchurian Crisis 1931, Abyssinian Invasion 1935)
CM: Caused confusion (and dually, encouragement) among both member and nonmember nations
CM: Exposed the League as weak and ineffective time and time again
CD: Initial exclusion of some nations from the League (ie. Germany)
CM: Hypocrisy of League's ideal (international unity, not exclusion)
CM: Discordance, discomfort, and bitterness among excluded members
CD: Member Leagues began acting unilaterally (France in Ruhr Crisis)
CM: Discredited integrity of League in maintaining order and discipline
CM: Increased international tensions both within and outside of League
TS 3: Just as political and economic concordances between nations were settling down, the Great Depression of 1929 arose and effected all.
CD: Member nations became even more infatuated with their own domestic issues
CM: Thus they turned their shoulders to the outside world in terms of collective security aid
CM: Economic sanctions became unfeasible
CM: Military forces and radical party changes gained hold in countries worldwide (German shift to right, French modern govt replaced by radical left-wing, Britain slant to right, end of Japanese liberal policies)
CD: Japan was urged to expand to increase its depreciating economy.
CM: Cause of Manchurian Crisis, which revealed the Japanese government's lack of control over its military
CM: League of Nations demonstrated severe inefficiency and, most notably, authority
