2.10A How did countries try to avoid any more wars?

When the First World War ended, politicians from the victorious nations met to decide what was to happen to the beaten enemy; the results were set out in the Treaty of Versailles. Also established by this treaty was that a League of Nations should be set up to settle problems peacefully. These films show the events surrounding the signing of the treaty and footage from early gatherings of the League.

KING GEORGE V SPEAKING AT THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS (AUDIO ONLY)
6 MINS 45 SECS, SOUND, NO PICTURE, 1919

Key Section - Beginning to 01:05.

In this speech, King George V welcomes the nations of the world to a League of Nations conference in 1919. He talks of having confidence that this common endeavour will lead to beneficial results.

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THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES
9 mins 24 secs, Silent, B/W, 1919

Key Section - 07:00 to end.

In this string of material, German delegates arrive to sign their acceptance of the punishments laid out in the Treaty of Versailles.

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AT GENEVA
1 MIN 35 SECS, SOUND, B/W, 1935

In this 1935 newsreel, Baron Aloisi of Italy speaks at a conference of the League of Nations in Switzerland. He asks for time to prepare answers to the charge that Italy has been the aggressor in its war with Ethiopia (at the time referred to as Abyssinia). The League of Nations, founded in 1920, had a number of successes but its inability to prevent this invasion counts as one of several key failures.