Account for the failure of the League of Nations

The League of nation was an attempt to replace the ‘international anarchy’ of pre-war days with an organization which would use economic and possibly military sanctions against aggressors to maintain collective security for both the small and great states. During the initial years of its existence in the 1920s, the League seemed to be functioning successfully. It worked well in dealing with less drastic affairs such as the repatriation of prisoners, the mandated territories, and epidemic diseases. However, by the 1930s, the authority of the League was challenged several times. After 1935, it was never taken seriously again. The real explanation for the failure of the League was that when aggressive states such as Japan, Italy, and Germany defied it, the members (especially France and Britain) were not prepared to support it. The League was only as strong as the determination of its leading members to stand up to aggression – unfortunately, determination of that sort was lacking...