LEAGUE OF NATIONS - STRENGTH AND WEKNESSES
STRENGTH:
  • The League of Nations had a clearly-defined organization and Covenant
  • Many nations, including Great Britain and France joined the League of Nations from the very beginning
  • There was a genuine mood of co-operation among the Member States
  • The League had the potential to impose damaging economic sanctions on aggressive Nations
  • The League set out to defend the interests of all member Nations, not just the large ones
  • The aims of the League enjoyed widespread support
  • The League of Nations was a revolutionary step forward in international relations, away from the old alliance system
  • The League of Nations undertook a wide range of humanitarian and economic activities
WEAKNESS:
  • The United States refused to join the League
  • Britain and France were not as powerful as they had once been
  • The League had no armed forces of its own
  • The League of Nations was predominantly European and the shift in power towards countries like Japan and the USA had not been recognized
  • The most enthusiastic members were the smaller European countries, which could do little themselves to guarantee peace, but relied on peace for their own survival
  • Certain countries - such as Germany - were hostile towards the whole peace settlement
  • Britain's government tried to make the obligations of the League less binding
 
Source: John Traynor "Challenging History EUROPE 1890-1990
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