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What was the League of Nations mandates system?

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Delegates in formal attire seated closely together at an international League of Nations conference, circa 1930. — League of Nations Delegates attending a League of Nations meeting, c. 1930.

The League of Nations mandate system was an authorization granted to member nations to govern former German and Ottoman territories following World War I. Established under Article 22 of the League’s Covenant, the system served as a compromise between the Allied powers—who wished to retain these territories—and their pledge that territorial annexation was not a war aim.1

Mandates were categorized by their development level and location:1

Class A: Former Turkish provinces (e.g., Iraq, Palestine, Syria) considered nearly ready for independence.1
Class B: Former German African colonies where mandatories were responsible for administration while protecting native rights.1
Class C: Territories administered as integral parts of the mandatory power’s own territory due to sparse population or geographic isolation.1

While the Permanent Mandates Commission theoretically supervised these regions, it lacked enforcement power. The system was eventually replaced by the United Nations trusteeship system in 1946.1