Conflict and Tension 1918-1939Deep Dive

Why Disarmament Failed

Part of League Failures · GCSE GCSE History revision

This deep dive covers Why Disarmament Failed within League Failures for GCSE History. Revise League Failures in Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 3 of 13

Practice

8 questions

Recall

15 flashcards

🧠 Why Disarmament Failed

Germany demanded equality — The Treaty of Versailles had forced Germany to disarm unilaterally. Germany argued that the Allies should now disarm to match Germany's level, OR Germany should be allowed to rearm to match the Allies. Either outcome was acceptable to Germany; the status quo was not.

France refused to disarm — France still feared Germany after the devastation of WW1. France insisted it needed security guarantees before disarming — but who would provide them without the USA in the League? The League had no army to protect France.

Britain was distracted — The Great Depression (from 1929) had made military spending deeply unpopular in Britain. The 1935 Peace Ballot showed 90%+ of Britons supported disarmament and arms reduction — making it politically impossible for the British government to support France's hard line.

Hitler exploited the deadlock in 1933 — When the Conference collapsed without agreement, Hitler announced Germany would rearm anyway — claiming Germany was only doing what the Allies had refused to do by disarming. He left the Disarmament Conference AND the League of Nations in October 1933.

Result: The arms race resumed. One of the League's four founding aims had completely failed. Germany was openly rearming by 1935, while the League watched helplessly.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in League Failures. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Key Failures — 1920s Why Did the League Fail at Collective Security? — Connected Causation The Day the League Backed Down ⭐ Why Does This Matter?

Practice Questions for League Failures

What happened at Corfu in 1923?

A. Greece invaded the Italian island of Corfu
B. Mussolini bombarded and occupied the Greek island of Corfu after Italian officials were killed
C. The League of Nations sent troops to Corfu to restore order
D. Poland seized Corfu against the wishes of the League

1 markfoundation

In the Vilna crisis of 1920, which country seized Vilna against the League's wishes?

A. Russia
B. Lithuania
C. France
D. Poland

1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

Vilna crisis?

1920 — Poland seized Lithuanian capital. League powerless. France backed Poland.

Corfu crisis?

1923 — Italy invaded Greek island. League overruled. Greece had to pay Italy!

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Key Failures — 1920s

Why Did the League Fail at Collective Security? — Connected Causation