The short life of the League of Nations.

Essay by KeirHigh School, 10th grade December 2005

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At the end of World War I, an organization was created to help stop war. This League of Nations was meant to serve as a place for countries to talk out their problems instead of fight over them. Wilson is was disabused of his ideals by the French. The League was created mainly to punish Germany and stop war.

The single largest blow to the League of Nations is the refusal by the U.S. Congress to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. This refusal, which was prompted by a desire to stay out of international affairs, created tension among the Allies. As a result of this, Great Britain, France, and the United States will not present a unified front against the growing aggression of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

When the leading powers met to discuss the rebuilding of navies, France refused to discuss reductions in force because the Americans didn't ratify the Treaty of Versailles. The French argued that without the military support America, the security measures in the treaty could not be fully enforced, leaving France vulnerable. An agreement was eventually reached: The United States and Great Britain accepted parity in their main naval forces. Japan was granted a force one fifth the size of America's and England's, and France and Italy accepted forces one-half the size of Japan's. The Japanese in particular are not happy with the agreement. They felt snubbed by the Western powers, due to the fact that they were denied equal status with the United States and Great Britain.

In 1925, England and Italy agreed to guarantee the neutrality of the Franco-German frontier. When no agreement was reached regarding the neutrality of Germany's eastern border, French leaders were dismayed; they had hoped to keep Germany contained in the east through an alliance with Czechoslovakia,