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What was the League of Nations?

The League of Nations was an international organization established by the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the Great War (1914–18; later called World War I). Although the concept of the League of Nations was introduced by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), the United States never ratified (approved) the treaty and was not a member. The League was set up to handle disputes among countries and avoid another major conflict such as the Great War. The organization proved to be ineffective, however, because it was unable to intervene in such acts of aggression as Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Italy's conquest of Ethiopia (1935–36) and occupation of Albania in 1939, and Germany's takeover of Austria in 1938. The League of Nations dissolved itself during World War II (1939–45). Though unsuccessful, the organization did establish a basic model for the United Nations, which...

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