An Evaluation on the Effectiveness of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations between 1919 and 1922 Versay Antlaşması’nın ve Milletler Cemiyeti’nin 1919 ve 1922 Arasındaki Dönemde Etkinliği Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme
History Studies, cilt.17, sa.4, ss.887-903, 2025 (Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 17 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.9737/historystudies.1612042
- Dergi Adı: History Studies
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.887-903
- Anahtar Kelimeler: First World War, international system, League of Nations, Treaty of Versailles, United States foreign policy
- Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study examines the effectiveness and underlying determinism of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations between 1919 and 1922. These were two pivotal historical developments that shaped international politics in the aftermath of the First World War, which was hoped to be ‘the war to end all wars.’ During this period, economic considerations emerged as the primary determinant of realpolitik. In particular, the economic dominance of the United States of America played a critical role in shaping the power dynamics among the victorious states responsible for drafting the Treaty of Versailles. From 1922 onwards, the international system began to shift from the unilateral hegemony of the British Empire to a Pax Anglo-Americana structure, driven in part by U.S. involvement and strategic interests. Although the League of Nations was conceived as a mechanism for fostering international cooperation and preventing future conflicts, it ultimately fell short of its ambitions due to insufficient resources and limited political backing. Drawing on a close analysis of the political and economic dynamics of the period, this study asserts that the Treaty of Versailles failed to restrain Germany and, instead of establishing a stable international system, contributed to further disorder. The study contends that this failure was attributed to diverging political visions among the victorious powers and the erosion of the pre-war capacities, which undermined any cohesive post-war settlement.