Outbreak of war in europe

OutbreakofWarinEurope 1.Weaknessoftheleagueofthenations TheLeagueofNationswasestablishedbytheTreatyofVersailles.Itwashopedthatiswouldusherinanewsystemofinternationalrelations,wherenationswouldstrivetogetherforpeace.TheLeaguedidachievesomesuccessinresolvingconflictsinthe1920s.However,weaknessinitsstructureandorganisation,itsassociationwiththeTreatyofVersailles,andalackofcommitmentamongstthemajorpowersseverelyaffecteditsauthorityandcredibility. Failureof disarmament● Disarmamentwasseenasthemosteffectivesteptopreventanotherworldwarandtoestablishworldpeace->theLeagueofNationsdidnotachievethis● SuccessesachievedinthisareawerearesultofindividualmajorEuropeanpowers,nottheLeagueofNations● Failureofdisarmamentmeantthat:(i)Powerfulcountriesstillhadmilitaryopportunitiesforwar(ii)Nothingtostopthenfromengaginginconflicts Disarmamentwasseenasthemosteffectivestepinthedesiretopreventanotherworldwarandtoestablishworldpeace.However,theLeaguedidnotachievemuchsuccessinthisarea.SuccessesachievedindisarmamentweretheresultofindividualmajorEuropeanpowers,andnottheLeague.Internationalrelationswerestillbeingdeterminedbypowerfulnationswhoactedontheirown.Thefailuretoachievedisarmamentnotonlymeantthatpowercountriesstillhadthemilitarycapacityforwar,butalsothattherewasnothingtostopthefromengaginginconflicts.Attemptsat disarmament duringthe1920sand1930s● Severalattemptsmadeatdisarmament● Majoreuropeanpowerswerenotalwayscooperative->AttimestookmattersintotheirownhandsE.g.Locarnotreaties-negotiatedbymajorpowers,ratherthantheLON● Generalunwillingnesstodisarm->makecountrylessabletodefenditselfagainstforeignattacks● Majorpowersdidnottrusteachother->wantedtoensurenationalinterestswereprotected ©wzkai

Example1● WashingtonNavalConference(1921)wassuccessfulinlimitingthesizeoftheNaviesofthemajorpowersthroughsettingtheratiooftonnageofcapitalships:->Partiesinvolved:Britain,USA,Taiwan,France,ItalyRatioof5:5:3:1.67:1.67● However,itwasorganisedbytheUSA,whowasnotintheLeagueofNations.● Negotiatedoutsidetheleague Example2● 1952LocarnoTreaties(1925)guaranteedGermany’srespectofBelgianandFrenchborders,thedemilitarisationofRomeland,andtheacceptanceoftheWeimarGovernmenttosettleanydisputes.● Partiesinvolved:Britain,Germany,France,Italy,Belgium,PolandandCzechoslovakia● NegotiationstookplaceoutsidethecontroloftheLeague Conclusion● FailureofdisarmamentshowedimportanceofUsinvolvement->UswasnotaLeaguememberbutcommandedmorerespectthanthanleagueitself.(WeakenedEuropeanNations)● MajorpowerssuchasBritainandFrancewereweakenedeconomicallyandmilitarilyafterworldwar1andthegreatdepression.->Didnotwanttoloseoutbyfightinganotherwar->Didnotwanttobedisadvantagedeconomicallyintheirrebuildingprocess● TheirrefusaltocooperatemeantthatnoprogresscouldbemadebytheLeague.● Atmosphereofdistrustgrewamongthemajorpowers->By1930s,inabilityofpowerstoworktogetherledtogrowingdistrustandtension->Ledtotheoutbreakofworldwar2 Therewereseveralattemptsmadeatdisarmament.TheWashingtonNavalConferenceof1921wasonesuchexample.However,themajorEuro