The weaknesses of the League of Nations Flashcards
Membership problems
America did not join the League of Nations (the US senate had rejected it). The USA also didn’t sign the Treaty of Versailles (1919) as they saw it as a connection to the League. Wilsons political enemies also wanted to keep him unpopular. Many people also preferred the policy of isolationism (no American troops/money allowed in Europe). Germany wasn’t allowed to join the League until 1926 and the USSR never joined. This meant that three of the most powerful nations at the time (USSR, USA, and Germany) were not in the League.
The League wasn’t powerful enough
Britain and France were in charge of the League-neither were strong enough (as nations) to do the job well. The League could only introduce sanctions if powerful countries applied them (they also had to be able to afford it)
It was a huge, complex organisation
Everyone had to agree on something before it could happen (this made it painfully slow and hard to get things done). The League also relied on the armies of members (although most countries did not want to commit troops)-this made it difficult for the League to act against threats.
