To Peacekeeping Efforts Affect International Relations Leading Essay Example

The information provided by the source is valuable, although it heavily focuses on the League of Nations' failure. It is unclear whether this was due to the organization's overall mission or simply the author's preference. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, as well as the establishment and eventual collapse of the League from 1920 to 1939 played a role in France's inability to prevent Nazi Germany's rise to power during the Great Depression. This situation was further worsened by the shockwave of depression that occurred in 1933. Additionally, between World War I and II, there emerged a "radical pacifism" inspired by Gandhi's non-violent approach.

After World War I, France and other countries widely adopted the philosophy of pacifism, which opposes war and violence on moral or religious grounds[1]. This nonviolent approach to conflict resolution was seen as ideal for minimizing physical impact, particularly in France where over one hundred thousand soldiers were lost during the war. However, critics argue that pacifist and anti-militarist movements of the early 1900s may have contributed to World War II by focusing on negotiating with Germany while leaving vulnerable areas such as Czechoslovakia unprotected[2]. Furthermore, disarming the UK opened the door for Nazi Germany and triggered World War II. Historians believe that World War II was simply a continuation of World War I brought about by France and Britain's unwarranted "peace" through the Treaty of Versailles[3].

Germany's dire economic situation and feelings of humiliation after World War One paved the way for Nazi Germany under Hitler's leadership to emerge. Despite aiming to establish peace without war, the Treaty of Versailles imposed war reparations on Germany that were impossible to meet. The

onset of the Great Depression in 1929 made it even harder for Germany to pay its reparations, causing a ripple effect across Europe and the USA. France experienced civil unrest due to soaring unemployment rates, while neighboring Germany supported Hitler's rise to power. As a result, there was a global economic downturn marked by falling stocks, escalating unemployment rates, and drastic declines in economies worldwide.

Germany experienced a considerable rise in unemployment by 1932, resulting in around six million workers becoming unemployed and constituting approximately 25% of the workforce. This economic downturn was used by Hitler's nationalist party to gain political center-stage and promote his vision of leading Germany into a future of social harmony, economic prosperity, and national rebirth through aggressive propaganda. Despite increasing pressure on political leaders to resolve the crisis amid continued depression, more than 60 nations met at the World Economic Conference in London but failed to address the issue comprehensively. The lack of coordinated response towards the global economic crisis played a significant role in Europe's outbreak of World War II in 1939. In an effort to prevent major wars, different organizations aimed towards managing conflicts and changing ideals were established during this era such as The League of Nations by the United States Senate in January 1920 being one such initial effort made.

The League of Nations had the main goal of resolving global disputes through peaceful means, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful in achieving this objective. The initial members of the organization consisted of Britain, France, Italy, and Japan; however, the United States did not participate. This absence proved detrimental to the effectiveness of the League in preventing World War

Two. Its ambition to establish a permanent international conference that included all nations dedicated to maintaining peace was never realized due to its inability to bring together all significant world powers under one assembly.

The League of Nations was established with the objective of promoting disarmament, but its members didn't comply with the agreement, which led to it being perceived as ineffective. The League's decline is associated with two major events: Japan's conflict in Manchuria against China between 1931 and 1933, and Italy's seizure of Ethiopia in 1935. Neither country could be stopped by the League from gaining control over Chinese or Ethiopian territories, respectively; both nations later formed an alliance with Nazi Germany. In addition, German rearmament in 1933 posed a threat to Eastern European countries that were part of the League. Finally, in 1938, Germany annexed Austria and then demanded that Czechoslovakia surrender Sudetenland before invading it in March of 1939.

Although the League of Nations attempted to address the resurgent Germany, it ultimately proved powerless. This led to World War Two breaking out after German troops invaded Poland in September. Despite being viewed as a failure, the establishment of the League in Geneva resulted in extensive expertise and specialist networks that continued to influence beyond the war. Ultimately, this contributed to the formation of today's United Nations. Overall, little was done to prevent World War Two from escalating due to insufficient opposition from other countries and ineffective intervention by institutions like the League of Nations.

France's pacifist approach only served to exacerbate and shame Germany into following a leader who would ultimately mislead them into a war they would lose. The League of Nations' weak

efforts were easily disregarded, while the Great Depression provided Hitler with ammunition for his campaign. These events caused the world's major powers to endure the most appalling period in history, resulting in the Holocaust. As mentioned earlier, each of these events actually contributed more harm than good towards the outbreak of World War II.