The League of Nations
The League of Nations was described in the first 30 articles of the Treaty. The goal of the League was to unite the countries of the world in peace to prevent any other wars. It was to be a meeting where countries could settle their arguments instead of fighting. President Wilson had higher hopes for the League of Nations, he wanted it to improve the world. He hoped that the League would be able to improve people's health, and hopefully end slavery. Wilson also hoped the League could get countries to agree to disarmament. The league was also supposed to help remind people of the promises they made on the Treaty of Versailles. The League had a weakness in organization. Countries couldn't agree when a crisis came, every country wanted their own way or the highway. There were 60 countries in the League of Nations, Britain and France were the main powers. The most critical weakness was the fact that the USA did not want to join the league. Being the most powerful and financial country in the world, it was necessary for America to be in the league. Russia was communist and refused to join because of their hatred for Russia. Germany was not allowed to join as part of the punishment in the Treaty of Versailles, and without the support of the US, Russia, and Germany, the League did not have enough influence on the world. Technically, the League could use Military power, but they didn't have an army to their name, so if an incident happened they couldn't really act. The league had strength in its high moral power. Every country had to obey the covenant of the league of nations, which basically promises that they will keep the peace. It reads: "The high contracting parties, In order to promote international co-operation and to achieve international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honourable relations between nations, by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another. Agree to this League of Nations."