How did the Kellogg-Briand Pact reflect hopes for peace in the late 1920s?

The Kellogg-Briand Pact, signed on August 27, 1928, represented the zenith of post-World War I optimism regarding the efficacy of international diplomacy and "paper treaties" to maintain global stability. By committing nearly all nations to renounce war as an instrument of national policy, the pact reflected a widespread desire to settle international disputes through peaceful means rather than military force.12

For German Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann, the pact was a significant milestone in his broader policy of reconciliation with Western powers. Having already secured the Pact of Locarno and Germany's entry into the League of Nations, Stresemann viewed the agreement as a way to restore Germany’s status and equality on the international stage. His warm reception at the signing ceremony in Paris underscored the era's prevailing hope that economic recovery and diplomatic goodwill could replace the hostilities of the past.341

However, the pact’s reliance on "irenic promises" without enforcement mechanisms, combined with numerous national qualifications, ultimately rendered it ineffective in preventing future aggression.21