The Structure of the League of Nations

What was the structure of the League of Nations?

The League was structured into 5 different parts to try and ensure its aims were met and it ran smoothly.

What were the organisations that the League of Nations was structured into?

The 5 different organisations of the League of Nations were:

• ❖ The Assembly.
• ❖ The Council.
• ❖ The Permanent Court of International Justice.
• ❖ The Secretariat.
• ❖ The Special Commissions.

What were the strengths of the structure of the League of Nations?

The structure of the League of nations had 3 important strengths:

• ❖ The League of Nations was written into Peace Settlement at the end of the First World War, so all countries involved in the various treaties recognised the League.
• ❖ The League of Nations had a vast membership, including nations such as Britain and France, who were very powerful world leaders.
• ❖ The League had at its disposal many tools to punish offending countries, including moral condemnation and economic sanctions.

What were the weaknesses of the structure of the League of Nations?

While the structure of the League did have some strengths, many historians argue that it was doomed to failure, because its structure and organisation was weak from its creation. Weaknesses included:

• ❖ It's membership didn't include world leaders like the USA, meaning the tools it had to punish countries were undermined. If a country was issued with economic sanctions they could still trade with rich countries.
• ❖ Without an army, the League had to rely on the armies of its members, and could not force people to obey on its own.
• ❖ The structure was confusing and decisions had to be unanimous. As a result, the League was often slow to act.