How did the League of Nations Covenant restrict the right of states to wage war?

The Covenant of the League of Nations sought to restrict, rather than entirely prohibit, the right of states to wage war. It established a framework for collective security that required member states to prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes.12

Under the Covenant, states were obligated to submit serious disputes to arbitration, judicial settlement, or inquiry by the League Council. The restrictions on warfare included the following requirements:12

• Mandatory Delay: Members agreed that they would not resort to war until at least three months after an arbitral award, a judicial decision, or a report by the Council.12
• Peaceful Settlement: States were bound to seek resolution through these established procedures before considering military action.12
• Collective Response: Article 16 stipulated that any member resorting to war in violation of these provisions would be subject to economic sanctions and, if necessary, military intervention by other members.2

While these measures created a formal process to discourage aggression, the Covenant did not renounce war as an instrument of national policy until the later Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928.1