Contents

Acknowledgements

Chronology

Who's Who

Glossary

Introduction Organising the peace of the world.

Chapter 1 What was the League of Nations?

Chapter 2 How new was the League of Nations?

Chapter 3 A promising start? Disputes, borders and national minorities in the 1920s.

Chapter 4 International humanitarian action: refugees and security.

Chapter 5 Removing the causes of war: social and economic projects.

Chapter 6 The League betrayed: collective security in the 1930s and disarmament.

Conclusion Assessing the League of Nations.

Documents

Further Reading

References

Index

The League of Nations was the first globally recognized inter-governmental body that attempted to organise peace comprehensively. It addressed not only the traditional security areas of military balances and diplomacy, including the peaceful settlement of international disputes, but also aimed at removing the very causes of war by promoting social and economic justice (specifically by addressing the welfare of vulnerable people). In many ways decades ahead of its time, the League broke the mould as a mechanism for doing international relations. New to the Seminar Studies in History Series, it contains valuable primary source material, a Glossary, Bibliography and Who's Who.

Martyn Housden is a Reader in Modern History at the University of Bradford. He has written extensively on the history of modern Germany and also on Central and Eastern Europe.