Why was the League of Nations Created? (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)

The First World War (1914-1918) was a clash of twentieth-century technology with nineteenth-century warfare tactics. Historians estimate that the conflict caused around 8.5 million military deaths and around 13 million civilian casualties. The impact of artillery, chemical warfare and machine guns shocked the world. Some political leaders aimed to end warfare as a method of resolving national issues. 

Woodrow Wilson was the US president. On 8th January 1918, he made a speech to Congress called the 14 Points speech. Within this speech, Wilson outlined his vision for post-war Europe. Some of his 14 Points were that:

• All national groups should have their own country. This is called self-determination

• All countries should follow a policy of disarmament to avoid war in the future

• All countries should discuss their issues openly and not sign secret treaties

• All countries should remove trade tariffs and cooperate economically

The main aspect of Wilson’s 14 Points was the creation of the League of Nations. The aims of the League of Nations were:

• To solve disputes that could cause armed conflict

• To achieve world disarmament

• To encourage nations to trade freely with each other

• To improve the standard of living across the world

Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 as a member of the ‘Big Three’. Wilson argued for the creation of the League of Nations with all nations as members. In the Versailles Settlement, all five treaties legalised the Covenant of the League of Nations. 

On 10th January 1920, the League of Nations began its peacemaking efforts. From its onset, it faced criticism from Europe and the USA. European countries worried that the League would interfere too much or be too weak. Americans viewed Wilson as an idealist. After the First World War, US politicians followed a policy of isolationism. Despite Wilson creating the concept of the League of Nations, the USA would never become a member.

Despite some early success in the 1920s, the League failed to keep world peace. On 1st September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, which triggered the beginning of the Second World War. Historians debate about the extent to which the League of Nations could have prevented the Second World War. Some historians state that the League of Nations was doomed to fail due to worldwide events like the Great Depression. Other historians argue that the League should have done more to prevent Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy. World leaders learnt from the failure of the League when creating the United Nations in 1945.