League of Nations Day 2025 is on Friday, January 10, 2025: what was the League of nations?

Friday, January 10, 2025 is League of Nations Day 2025. League of Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia League of Nations - Wikipedia,

The League of Nations was the predecessor to the modern-day United Nations.

It was part of Wilson's 14 Points, which were a set of liberal reforms to help rebuild Europe and form better societies after World War I. The League of Nations was the only point that made it through in the Treaty of Versailles, and afterwards, Wilson refused to allow the US to join due to the modifications that were made to the principle.

When did Britain join the League of Nations?

The League of Nations was an inter-governmental organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, in 1919–1920.

(1919: founding members)

* Argentina (left in 1921 on rejection of an Argentine resolution that all sovereign states be admitted to the League [1]. It resumed full membership in 1933 [2])

* Belgium

* Bolivia Bolivia

* Brazil (withdrew 14 June 1926)

* United Kingdom British Empire separate membership for:[3]

o Australia

o Canada Canada

o British Raj Red Ensign.svg India (then under British rule and including the region of present-day India, Bangladesh, Burma, and Pakistan).[3]

o New Zealand

o South Africa Union of South Africa

o United Kingdom

* Chile (withdrew 14 May 1938)

* Republic of China China

* Colombia

* Cuba Cuba

* Czechoslovakia (left 15 March 1939)

* Denmark (withdrew July 1940)

* El Salvador (withdrew 11 August 1937)

* France (Vichy France withdrew 18 April 1941; withdrawal not recognised by Free French forces)

* Hellenic Kingdom Flag 1935.svg Greece

* Guatemala (withdrew 26 May 1936)

* Haiti (withdrew April 1942)

* Honduras (withdrew 10 July 1936)

* Italy Italy (withdrew 11 December 1937)

* Japan Japan (withdrew 27 March 1933)

* Liberia Liberia

* Netherlands

* Nicaragua (withdrew 27 June 1936)

* Norway

* Panama

* Paraguay (withdrew 23 February 1935)

* Iran Persia (known as Iran from 1934)

* Peru (withdrew 8 April 1939)

* Poland

* Portugal

* Romania (withdrew July 1940)

* Thailand Siam (known as Thailand from 1939)

* Spain Spain (withdrew May 1939)

* Sweden

* Switzerland

* Uruguay

* Venezuela (withdrew 12 July 1938)

* Yugoslavia Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (known as Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1929; left 17 April 1941; rejoined October 1944)[citation needed]

At its greatest extent from 28 September 1934 to 23 February 1935, it had 58 members. The League's goals included upholding the new found Rights of Man such as right of non whites, rights of women, rights of soldiers, disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation, diplomacy and improving global quality of life

United Nations & The League of Nations?

The main differences were:

1. The League of Nations did not have many of the world powers as members. USA were never a member, Japan left in 1931, Germany were not allowed in until 1926 and then left in 1933, Soviet Union did not join until 1934. And, of course, these were the days of the European empires, so the colonies did not enjoy much representation.

2. The League lacked teeth. There was no military body. Japan was condemned for invading Manchuria in 1931 but that was it! When Italy was criticised for invading Ethiopia in 1936, the League pulled back from any meaningful sanctions.

The League was led by the imperial western powers keen to preserve the status quo and keep Germany in her place - hence the rejection of President Wilson's 14 points.

The United Nations had a better beginning. It had representations from the major powers, all keen to avoid war, including, crucially, the USA, who welcomed the forthcoming decolonisation. The UN also set up a military arm including peacekeeping troops - which the League did not have, and welfare/social organisation such as UNESCO.

The UN exisits as a chamber of neutral ground for organisations to have discussions - although it is still esentially toothless (e.g. the failure to stop US/UK invasion of Iraq 2003) and still unpredictable (as we have seen from Zimbabwe).

Above all, we have not had another world war - and the UN has existed through many smaller wars.