nPostednon January 10, 2014
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nTodaynwe commemorate something that didn’t work!
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nOnnthis date in 1920, the League of Nations came into being. Itnrepresented the hopes of 42 ratifying nations for internationalncooperation and world peace.
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nInn1920 the world was still reeling from the catastrophic death toll ofnWorld War I, with more than 16 million dead and many more millionsnwounded. More than one leader and influential person was calling forna permanent organization that would maintain peace.
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nThatnincluded Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, who outlinednhis idea of such an organization during his 14-point peace plan.nAlthough many of his ideas did not become adopted by the othernnations hammering out the treaty that formally ended WWI, the Leaguenof Nations was approved. Wilson was able to present the peace treatynand the Covenant of the League of Nations to the US Senate. n
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nEvennthough the organization was mostly the “baby” of the USnPresident, the US Senate refused to ratify it! Wilson had sufferednfrom a stroke and was unable to flex his political muscle to reach ancompromise with the Senate. Still, the League of Nations wasnestablished, without the US. n
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nWhyndid the Senate refuse to ratify the covenant, you ask?
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nGoodnquestion. Apparently many senators thought that the organization tookntoo much authority away from the US, which was beginning to be seennas a world power.
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| The sign near the bridge reads “The League of Nations was designed by the President of the USA.” Uncle Sam is snoozing, resting his head on the keystone Guess what happens to a bridge that has no keystone? |
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nAndnapparently the senators were wrong! Because we can now see that thenLeague had very little power or authority at all. Japan attackednChina, even though both of the nations were in the League of Nations.nThe League condemned the attack, so Japan simply withdrew from thenorganization. And there was nothing that the League could do! Germanynstarted rearming itself—and the League could do nothing. Italyninvaded Ethiopia—again, even though both nations were a part of thenpeace-keeping organization—and again, the League could do nothing!
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Bynthe time World War II started, the League of Nations was basicallyndefunct.
Bynthe time World War II started, the League of Nations was basicallyndefunct.n
nEventuallyn63 nations were a part of the League of Nations—but the US wasn’tnone of them!
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nSo,nWWII happened, and more than 60 million—some sources say more thann72 million—people died. And voices once again called out for annorganization that could work to promote cooperation and peacefulnconflict resolution between nations. The United Nations was born—andnthis time the US joined!
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nTonlearn more about the League of Nations, check out this Brain Pop video.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nNational Vodoun Day in Beninn
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AstronomernSimon Marius’s birthday
AstronomernSimon Marius’s birthday n
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nAstronomernRobert Woodrow Wilson’s birthday
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nAnniversarynof first subway
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nAnniversarynof first aerial photo in U.S.
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nAnniversarynof a successful Amelia Earhart flight
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nPlannahead!
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nJanuaryn holidays
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nJanuaryn birthdays
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nAndnhere are my boards for:
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in February
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