The+Importance+of+International+Diplomacy+during+the+Interwar+Period+in+Europe

International diplomacy played a vital role in Europe during the interwar years. Relations between countries during this time were in a volatile state; nations were trying to make amends but many variables persisted that caused diplomacy to fail and lead into WWII. Governments throughout Europe were suffering from the repercussions of WWI; therefore, Europe was in a slow state of renewal until WWII came to be. This halted nearly all political and humanitarian projects. Following WWI, countries were broken up mainly by the Treaty of Versailles as well as other treaties. This created many new, small countries that had a substantial amount of ethnic minorities. With a wide range of people contained in a small area, their views conflicted. For example, in newly formed Czechoslovakia, Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, Slovaks, and Hungarians all lived amongst each other and they did not cooperate with the social, economic or political changes. This unstable group of people caused them to be vulnerable and they were easily being taken advantage of by their respective government. For example, in Germany, following WWI and the collapse of the Weimar Republic, fascism took hold because the people were living in poor conditions and nation’s situation was not secure. Because the people were so vulnerable, it led way for Adolf Hitler. The depressed state of the economy in Germany also allowed for Hitler’s quick takeover because the people wanted immediate change. The security within Europe was also a concern to many European nations. It was dealt with by nations who supported freedom for the people. “These treaties (Franco-Czech 1924, France and Romania 1926, and France and Yugoslavia 1927) were to be crucial to the future security of Europe and it was ultimately an agreement between Poland and the Western Powers that led to the outbreak of war in 1939” (1). These three core problems are what led to even more severe issues in Europe and beyond. Going back to the end of WWI, President Woodrow Wilson of the United States proposed the League of Nations. He intended it to be a positive way to promote peace and unity through the idea of collective security. However, this quickly proved ineffective because individual countries were too selfish to defend one another without recognition and/or gains. The League of Nations was not effective because it was not enforced. This means that there were no standing armies and the League couldn’t force nations to join. Also a major factor why it did not work was because the United States was not a participant despite it being proposed by Woodrow Wilson. The interwar period is important because while fascist leaders were just starting out and demonstrating what atrocities they were capable of committing, the United States and other nations did their best to prevent the further spread of fascism and stop it where it already existed. And although the League of Nations failed in the end, it did have a positive impact on Europe. While other governments were formed out of fear, the League was a positive influence compared to the fascist leaders who had previously overrun parts of Europe following WWI and leading into WWII until the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. And through the League of Nations, the international relations during the interwar years greatly affected Europe, especially its people. (560)  1. Wolfson, Robert, and John Laver. //Years of Change European History 1890-1990//. 3rd ed. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2001. Print.  2. Cannon, Martin. //20th Century World History: Course Companion//. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.