Outbreak of war, 1939 (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Outbreak of war, 1939
Why the League of Nations failed to prevent another world war
By 1939, the League of Nations had completely failed in its primary mission to maintain world peace. The organisation that was created after World War I to prevent future conflicts was unable to stop the rise of nationalism and militarism during the 1930s. The League's lack of response and political will meant it could not challenge powerful countries that were determined to pursue aggressive policies - and in 1939, war erupted once again.
The failure was not sudden but gradual. Several major powers, including the USA, refused to join the League from the beginning. Other influential nations like Germany and the USSR were excluded initially. This meant that important diplomatic negotiations often had to happen outside the League's framework, significantly weakening its authority and effectiveness.
The League of Nations was established in 1920 as part of the Treaty of Versailles, with the noble goal of maintaining world peace through collective security and international cooperation. However, from its inception, it faced challenges that would ultimately prove insurmountable.
Fundamental weaknesses of the League
The League of Nations suffered from several critical structural problems that made it ineffective when facing serious international crises:
Lack of major power participation: The United States never joined the League, despite President Wilson's role in creating it. Germany and the Soviet Union were initially excluded from membership. This meant the League lacked the influence and resources of the world's most powerful nations.
No independent military force: The League had no army of its own and depended entirely on member states to provide troops when action was needed. This created a situation where countries could ignore League decisions without facing immediate consequences.
Slow decision-making process: The Assembly only met once per year, and all decisions required unanimous agreement from the Council. This meant the League could not respond quickly to emerging crises, and any single member could block action by using their veto power.
Self-interest over collective security: Member countries consistently prioritised their own national interests over the League's principle of collective security. Even when they publicly supported League actions, they often pursued separate diplomatic arrangements that undermined the organisation's authority.
Insufficient resources: The League simply did not have enough personnel or funding to carry out its ambitious goals of maintaining international peace and security.
The most critical weakness was the League's dependence on member states for military enforcement. Without its own army, the League could only impose economic sanctions, which proved ineffective against determined aggressors who were willing to accept economic hardship to achieve their territorial goals.
How the Great Depression contributed to war
The economic crisis that began in 1929 had devastating effects on international cooperation. Countries became more focused on protecting their own economies and less willing to work together through international organisations.
Poverty and unemployment in many nations made populations more receptive to aggressive nationalist leaders like Hitler and Mussolini. These dictators promised to restore national pride and economic prosperity through military expansion and territorial conquest. The economic hardship made their hostile messages more appealing to desperate citizens.
The Depression also made democratic countries like Britain and France more reluctant to take strong action against aggressor nations. They were dealing with their own economic problems and were unwilling to risk expensive military interventions or economic sanctions that might harm their recovery.
The Great Depression created a perfect storm for international conflict. Economic desperation made populations vulnerable to extremist ideologies, while simultaneously reducing the capacity and willingness of democratic nations to maintain international order through the League of Nations.
Britain and France prioritise self-interest
Rather than supporting League principles, Britain and France were more concerned with protecting their own strategic interests. They viewed keeping Mussolini as an ally against Hitler as more important than defending League authority when Italy invaded Abyssinia.
This approach proved short-sighted. The League's failure to take meaningful action against Italy in the Abyssinian crisis demonstrated to Hitler and other potential aggressors that the organisation could not enforce international law. It essentially gave them permission to pursue their own territorial ambitions without fear of effective international intervention.
The Abyssinian crisis of 1935-36 was a turning point that effectively destroyed the League's credibility. When the League failed to stop Italian aggression despite imposing sanctions, it sent a clear message to other potential aggressors that the international community would not enforce collective security when it conflicted with major powers' interests.
Contemporary views on the League's effectiveness
People at the time had mixed opinions about the League's value and potential:
Contemporary Perspectives on the League
Optimistic perspective: British historian Herbert Fisher argued in 1930 that "If the nations want peace, the League gives them the way by which peace can be kept. League or no League, a country which is determined to have a war can always have it." This view suggested the League could work if nations genuinely committed to peace.
Skeptical view: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini dismissed the League in 1936, saying "The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out." He believed the organisation was only effective in minor disputes between weak countries.
Philosophical assessment: Indian philosopher Savepalli Radhakrishnan observed in 1929 that while the League existed as "a mechanical frame," its spirit and effectiveness had not yet developed. He noted that "ten years after the peace, the sky is not clearer than it was in August, 1914."
Timeline: Road to war
Key Events Leading to World War II
- 1929: Great Depression begins, weakening international cooperation
- 1931: Japan invades Manchuria; League response proves ineffective
- 1933: Germany leaves the League of Nations
- 1935-36: Italy invades Abyssinia; League sanctions fail to stop aggression
- 1936: Germany remilitarizes the Rhineland without League intervention
- 1938: Germany annexes Austria and Sudetenland through appeasement rather than League action
- September 1939: Germany invades Poland; Britain and France declare war, bypassing the League entirely
Key Points to Remember:
- The League of Nations failed to prevent World War II due to fundamental structural weaknesses including lack of major power membership, no independent army, and slow decision-making processes
- The Great Depression made countries more inward-looking and receptive to aggressive nationalism, while reducing willingness to cooperate internationally
- Britain and France prioritised their own strategic interests over League principles, particularly during the Abyssinian crisis
- The League's failure to stop earlier aggressions by Japan and Italy encouraged Hitler to believe he could act without facing effective international opposition
- By 1939, major powers were conducting diplomacy outside the League framework, making the organisation irrelevant to preventing the outbreak of war