Nay, shun the nation

Irish Free State became Ireland in 1937 and Siam transformed into Thailand in 1939.

The notion of nations is not set in stone or baked in clay but the activities conducted by the nation state are not without consequence. Citizens may disengage but the skirmishes continue and the ideologies encroach.

I'm not writing a history book so refer you elsewhere as to how the League of Nations' own failure to sustain, made way for the United Nations. Or whether they are separate entities borne of different times.

The thing that always strikes me about a nation is how serious it is. It may be filled with jousts among jesters but the nation acting as one is always intent in purpose and drives a hard bargain. Alliances are determinant on the main players at the time.

These were dangerous times with Tojo in Japan, Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany and Stalin in the USSR. There were countries from both the Allies and the Axis represented in the League and activity revolves around invasion, exit and expulsion

II

The first secretary-general was Sir Eric Drummond. He held that position from 1920 to 1933.

League of Nations comprised of Secretariat, Council and General Assembly. The Council was made up of Permanent Members - United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan - the major powers at the time, and countries voted in as Non-Permanent Members by the General Assembly (every member nation) - held once a year. The first Non-Permanent Members were Belgium, Brazil, Greece and Spain.

While they couldn't prevent the big one, other wars were averted by the League. The League of Nations administered a number of seminal bodies

• the Health Organisation
• the International Labour Organisation
• the Permanent Court of Justice
• the Slavery Commission
• the Commission for Refugees
• the Disarmament Commission
• the International Commission on Intellectual Cooperation
• the Mandates Commission
• the Permanent Central Opium Board