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How did the Treaty of Versailles create the League of Nations?
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Treaty of Versailles
The āBig Fourā (left to right): David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States, the principal architects of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles created the League of Nations by incorporating its founding document, the Covenant of the League of Nations, directly into the treaty itself.12
Key aspects of this creation include:
- The Covenant: The treaty included the Covenant as a concise document of 26 articles. This document established the League's constitutional basis, including its directing organsāthe Assembly and the Councilāand a permanent Secretariat.12
- Purpose and Principles: The League was established to promote collective security and international cooperation. Members committed to respecting each other's independence and territorial integrity, submitting disputes to peaceful settlement, and potentially applying economic sanctions against aggressor states.12
- Implementation: Because the Covenant was an integral part of the peace treaty, it officially came into force alongside the Treaty of Versailles on January 10, 1920.12
- Administrative Roles: The treaty empowered the League to supervise specific territories, such as the Saar Basin and the free city of GdaÅsk, and to manage the mandates system.12