Strengths & Weaknesses of the League

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Strengths & Weaknesses of the League

Advantages

  • Council could solve disputes peacefully
  • Commissions to help refugees, slavery health
  • ILO - improve working conditions
  • 1920- 42 countries are members - shows nations working together
  • Permanent members have veto power to make quick, beneficial decisions
  • 4 powerful countries are permanent members = will be able to make the most important beneficial decisions.
  • League had a range of powers
  • moral condemnantion
  • economic sanctions
  • military force
  • Collective security  - better than alliance system

Disadvantages

  • Permanent members could abuse veto power to benefit themselves
  • Hard to reach decisions in assembley - unanimous vote
  • Also hard to reach decisions with so many members -1930's = 60 members
  • USA not a member
  • Germany and USSR not allowed to join until 1926 and 1934
  • moral condemnation = easy to ignore
  • economic sanctions hard to work without USA
  • League has no army - Britian and France unwilling to send troops to solve disputes
  • Collective security only works if everyone is willing to work together and backs it
  • Permanent Court of International Justice didn't have the power to make a judgement - limited in what they could do
  • They could only give a ruling if asked to by both nations in the dispute
  • Council only met 4-5 times a year = didn't get a lot done.

Evaluation

Quite clearly the League's weaknesses outweigh it's strengths. In the coming years the League would face many troubles because of them. However some of the advantages e.g. Commissions were beneficial in achieving the League's main aims laid out in the Covenant. 

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