What were the main long term causes? - The Failure of the League of Nations - Failure of Disarmament

8 important questions on What were the main long term causes? - The Failure of the League of Nations - Failure of Disarmament

When did the first 'Preparatory Commission' meet to discuss general disarmament?

1926. This meant that German disarmament wasn't equal with the other nations who had promised similar disarmament.

When were there actually a conference to begin deliberation on general disarmament?

February 1932 - 12 years after the Treaty of  Versailles was signed!

What was the original general disarmament plan?


Revival of the 1919 idea of the creation of a 'League of Nations with teeth'
  1. Each nation should submit its major offensive weapons, planes, capital ships and heavy artillery to the control of the League of Nations; to provide a force to oppose aggression.
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Why was the creation of a 'League of Nations with teeth' rejected by wartime allies?

Self interest mainly, masked by excuses of infringement of national sovereignty. No one nation wanted to have to fight a war "because of a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing..." - Neville Chamberlain

How did the allies give Germany some justification for withdrawing from the general disarmament conference, and what was the long-term implication of this?

They didn't disarm even though they forced Germany to disarm in the 1920s; this meant that Germany had the powerful bargaining chip of 'equality' to play and meant that Germany could effectively manipulate the other Great Powers because an armament conference was effectively pointless without Germany.

What was the 'Constructive Plan'?

November 1932: A disarmament conference was so pointless without Germany that France conceded to the radical 'Constructive Plan':
  1. Maintain a League of Nations force
  2. Alongside national armies; and Germany's would be equal to any other Great Power

Although German returned, she showed little interest, alongside Italy.

What is an example for the Great Powers working in self-interest, rather than towards peace, at the general disarmament conference?

The British Proposal:
  • To establish a common limit of 200,000 men on the forces of France, Germany, Italy and Poland
  • However, this was rejected by all nations; because it didn't affect Britain, a Island, but did continental powers.

Why did general disarmament fail?

June 1933: Because, despite the fact that Britain, France, Italy and the USA were in agreement over the third French disarmament plan:
  1. An 8-year period, only in the latter-half of which would continental armies be reduced to 200,000 men.
October 1933: Germany, when she felt trapped, Adolf Hitler simply withdrew from the conference; and within five days quit the League of Nations.

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