League of Nations

Charlson Ro and Margaux San Nicolas

      When WWI broke out in 1914, people felt the horrors of war for the first time. The number of casualties from WWI was staggering. As a result, keeping peace became a topic of interest at the conference in Versailles in 1919. The framers of what became known as the Treaty of Versailles were Woodrow Wilson of America, David Lloyd George of Britain, and Clemenceau of France. Although the three men had disparate views on the terms of the treaty, they all agreed that war should not break out again. With that in mind, Wilson presented fourteen points of the treaty. One of the main points was the formation of a League of Nations. The League was a coalition of all nations, except Germany, promoting the spirit of Internationalism. The League’s primary duty, however, was to ensure peace and stability around the world. When conflict arose between two nations, the League would act as a mediator and use military force if necessary. It did, however, have several problems from the start:

America, the strongest power at the time, held onto its isolationist stance and did not join.

-         Other members were crippled by the war, both militarily and economically.

-         A worldwide economic slump made negotiations impossible.

-         Communism threatened the League.

Japan supported the Allies in WWI, but was not as heavily involved as other nations. Japan was still rising to prominence as it adopted an imperialist mentality, however, and obtained control over German possessions such as the Shandong peninsula of China and the Marianna Islands. Due to an increasingly industrial economy and a lack of resources, Japan began to look beyond its current horizons and targeted others areas, particularly China and Indonesia. In 1915, Japan created a list of Twenty-One demands for control of China and pressured the nation to accept them. The Washington Naval Conference, however, voided the demands in 1921. Feeling disrespected, discriminated, and dissatisfied, Japan invaded Manchuria in 1932 and called the land Manchoukuo. The Japanese viewed imperialism as the solution for recognition as the dominant Eastern power. The League of Nations castigated Japan and ordered the nation to leave Manchuria or face the consequences. Japan, instead, left the League in 1933. No longer hindered by other nations, Japan used its newfound independence to continue its conquest. The League had failed. Then, in 1940, Japan crossed the threshold by signing the Tripartite Pact of 1940. The Pact installed Japan as a member of the Axis.

Sources:

Trueman, Chris. "League of Nations." Historylearningsite.co.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.

Clare, John D. "The League in Manchuria." Johndclare.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.

Duffy, Michael. "21 Demands." First World War.com. Styleshout, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.

"Japan and the World War I Era." Japan and the World War I Era. Online Highways, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.