Was the League of Nations successful in achieving its aims?

“The High Contracting Parties,

In order to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security by the

acceptance of obligations not to resort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honourable

relations between nations, by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as

the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous

respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another;

Agree to this Covenant of the League of Nations.'” (Covenant of the League of Nations, preamble.

1919)

That is what the preamble of the Covenant of the League of Nations declares and here the

main aims of this international institution, that was founded after the slaughters and fights of the

First World War through the initiative of the President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, can

be seen. With creating this institution peace should be secured and furthermore it was “entrusted to

the League the tasks of preventing disease and of fighting the evils of slavery, drug trafficking and

prostitution.” (Scott, 1973, p.15) So the League of Nations did not only have political but also

social aims. Another goal that cannot be neglected is the international disarmament as an essential

measure for world peace. As you can see these intentions are very ambitious for an international

institution that is the first one of its dimension. With introducing the League of Nations

international politics should no longer be a product of alliances, that are bargained behind closed

doors. Rather should international politics be a product of fair negotiations in an international

institution so that everyone can follow them.

With all these aims a lot of people all over the world put their hopes and trust in the League of

Nations because there were many places of conflicts all over the world in this time. However, as we

already know how history went on we can state that the League of Nations failed in achieving its

main aim, it could not prevent the Second World War. Though one cannot say that the League of

Nations constantly failed because there were also some conflicts that the League managed to solve.

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