Weimar and Nazi Germany (1918-1939): The League of Nations

The League of Nations was an international organization created at the end of the First World War. It was one of US President Wilson’s fourteen points for peace. The League was designed to be an arena for international disputes to be resolved. The Allies founded the League as a method of avoiding war.

When the League was set up, Germany was excluded from joining. The United States never joined so for many the League was ineffectual. Germany, after the Locarno Pact 1925 managed to secure negotiations for Germany to join.

In September 1926, Germany was admitted to the League, to join all the other great powers. Germany was allowed to sit on the League of Nations Council, similar to today’s United Nations Security Council which made the important decisions of the League. This was a great honour for Germany to be considered an equal power alongside the First World War victors.

The impact of Germany joining was similar to that of the Locarno Pact. It boosted the confidence of foreign powers and moderate Germans in the Republic and Stresemann himself. However, extremist parties also detested Germany joining as they saw it as an extension of the Treaty of Versailles which was a source of national embarrassment.