Nesrine BouguerraThe League of Nations was created from the ashes of World War I and Wilsonian project which was designed to build an international order dedicated to resolve disputes between States and peacekeeping it represented new hope and belief to the mankind. Therefore, the League of Nations was intended to modernize the international relations and sought to settle international disputes, to unite forces against potential aggressors, abolish secret treaties, establish the limitation of armaments and create an International Court of Justice. However, the league showed its weakness since it was first created. Although it achieved successes in the twenties, it remained incapable to prevent wars in the thirties.
The work of the League in the twenties
The national and international forces occurred simultaneously within the League. The League had to win the various governments who had taken the habit of discussing in Geneva. Mainly oriented towards peace, this unification had theses purposes: to respect treaties, establish security and promote international cooperation.
– The League and the treaty of peace
The administration of the Saar and the status of Danzig
* The Saar: the Assembly decided in the 9th of April 1919 to suspend the sovereignty of the Reich on the whole territory of the Saar to place it under an international administration for 15 years .Indeed, the Saar Basin, instead of being incorporated in France, had been placed under the authority of the League for fifteen years with the prospect of freely deciding its own future.
* Danzig: Danzig made the league in “free city” and people lost their German nationality. A High Commissioner oversaw the business. Danzig, instead of being incorporated in Poland, had been constituted a Free City under the guarantee of the League.
Protection of National Minorities
The war had caused the collapse of the great Austro-Hungarian empires, Russian, German and Turkish nationalities appeared. Yet, other minorities were despairing. The most serious and controversial questions with which the council had to deal between the Ninth and Tenth Assemblies were those connected with the protection of minorities.
Affirmation of the League on the international stage
– The peaceful settlement of international disputes
The League was capable of acting only when great powers agreed to let her and especially when it does not conflict with the interests of one of them. So that was the case in the Aland Islands where the League decided that the Finnish sovereignty is maintained and the individual autonomy is neutralized.
– Humanitarian, financial and economic
The League had to create other specialized agencies to develop international cooperation in the fields of health, economics and finance. The debut of these new areas is yet poorly advertised such as:
– The Social Commission.
– The Economic and Financial Organization.
Therefore, the League was not only reduced to be a new form of diplomacy that is more open to international relations, but also, has plural vocations which also prevent the economic and social problems.