Diplomacy Outside the League of Nations (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why was the League of Nations not involved in all diplomacy in the 1920s? - Timeline & Summary
In the 1920s, the League of Nations was not involved in all international diplomacy for several reasons. One reason was that some key countries, like the USA, were not members of the League. For example, the Washington Conference of 1921-1922 focused on naval disarmament and security in the Pacific region. It involved major powers like the USA, Britain, Japan, France and Italy. Since the USA was not part of the League, it chose to organise this conference independently, excluding the League from these important discussions.
Another reason the League was not always involved was that countries sometimes preferred to handle their issues directly. The Rapallo Treaty of 1922 between Germany and the USSR is a good example. Both nations were isolated after the First World War and wanted to improve their relations. The Rapallo Treaty agreed to cooperate economically and militarily without involving the League. This showed that countries often found direct negotiations more efficient for their specific needs and interests.
Some countries felt that certain issues could be better resolved through separate agreements. The Locarno Treaties of 1925 and the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 were significant peacekeeping efforts that did not involve the League. The Locarno Treaties aimed at securing borders and promoting peace in Western Europe. They were negotiated independently by Germany, France, Belgium, Britain and Italy. The Kellogg-Briand Pact, in which many countries promised to renounce war, was also organised outside the League. These examples illustrate that countries sometimes chose alternative diplomatic routes to address specific concerns, bypassing the League.
The Washington Conference, 1921-1922
What is International Diplomacy?
International diplomacy is how countries communicate and work together
This takes the form of negotiating alliances, treaties and agreements
When a country has a friendly foreign policy, international diplomacy is good
When a country has an aggressive foreign policy, they do not want to make compromises, which affects diplomacy
During the 1920s, international diplomacy was good
However, countries made agreements outside of the League’s influence. This was because:
Important nations like the USA, the USSR and Germany were not members
The League was slow at making decisions, as seen in its attempts at peacekeeping
The Washington Naval Agreement, 1922
Aims | Countries | Terms | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
Limit Japanese imperialism Ease tensions in the Asia Pacific region Work towards naval disarmament | The USA, Britain, Italy and Japan An additional agreement made with Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and China | Restrictions on the building of battleships, battlecruisers and aircraft carriers Britain and the USA limited to ships weighing up to 533,000 tonnes Japan limited to ships weighing up to 320,000 tonnes | The first treaty to encourage disarmament Britain, France, Japan and Italy attended as individual countries rather than League representatives Did not restrict the number of ships. This encouraged the development of lighter warships |
The Rapello Treaty, 1922
Aims | Countries | Terms | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
Rebuild both countries' reputations after the First World War
| Germany and the USSR | End of the USSR’s reparations to Germany Trading agreements between the two countries The USSR would allow German soldiers to train secretly. The USSR also allowed German rearmament factories Friendly diplomatic relations established | Angered the Allies due to Germany making alliances without permission
|
The Locarno treaties, 1925
Aims | Countries | Terms | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
Improve the international reputation of Germany To avoid conflict with France. Their relationship had worsened after the French invasion of the Ruhr in 1923 | Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium | France and Germany promised to keep peace with each other Germany accepted its western borders as stated in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles
| The acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles infuriated the extremist parties in Germany
|
The Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928
French foreign minister Aristide Briand met with US Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg to discuss further steps towards world peace
The USA was not in the League of Nations. They still believed in achieving world peace
On 27th August 1928, they assembled Germany and 61 other countries to sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellogg-Briand Pact stated that war should never be used as a means for resolving disputes between countries
Impacts of the Kellogg-Briand Pact on Germany
Positive impacts | Negative impacts |
|---|---|
Boosted German citizens’ confidence in the Weimar Republic | The Kellogg-Briand Pact did not remove the military restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. This angered extremist parties |
The world saw Germany as a respectable and trustworthy state. They could enter into treaties as an equal to the other signatories | Many Germans thought other countries would move towards disarmament. Disappointingly, the pact did not promise this |
Worked Example
How useful are Sources B and C to an historian studying diplomacy outside the League of Nations?
[12 marks]
Source B: A political cartoon called ‘Treaty of Locarno’ by David Low, 5th September 1925. It shows French Foreign Minister, Aristide Briand and Gustav Stresemann
Source C: A speech by Gustav Stresemann after the signing of the Locarno Treaty (16th October 1925) “Joyfully and wholeheartedly we welcome the great development in the European concept of peace that has its origin in this meeting at Locarno, and as the Treaty of Locarno, is destined to be a landmark in the history of the relations of States and peoples to each other. We especially welcome the expressed conviction set forth in this final protocol that our labours will lead to decreased tension among the peoples and to an easier solution of so many political and economic problems.” |
Partial answer:
Source B is useful to an historian studying diplomacy outside the League of Nations because it shows that some people doubted how genuine this peace was. Source B draws Aristide Briand, the French Foreign Minister, with a boxing glove behind his back. On 27th August 1928, Stresemann, Briand and 61 other countries signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact which stated that war should never be used as a means for resolving disputes between countries. Drawing Briand with a boxing glove behind his back hints that his agreement to the Kellogg-Briand pact was not genuine. France is waiting to inflict violence on Germany whenever they get an opportunity. As a result, Source B is useful to a historian because it shows that people questioned if international diplomacy in the 1920s was genuine or would last. This cartoon suggests that there was an uncertain feeling surrounding how long Europe would be able to avoid a war.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Ensure that you make a clear judgement about how useful sources B and C are to the topic in the question.
Good judgements will include:
Specific content from the sources
The source’s provenance
Your knowledge of the time period
This will help you to see if the source is accurate or typical for the period
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 12-mark “How Useful” question.
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