League of Nations | National Library of Australia (NLA)

League of Nations

Introduction

The League of Nations was the forerunner to the present United Nations.

The Treaty of Versailles, including the Covenant of the League of Nations was signed on 28 June 1919 and was the first political treaty signed by Australian officials since Federation. A history of the signing, along with an explanation of the significance of the document is available at the website Documenting a Democracy.

painting of the signing of the Treaty of Peace at Versailles, June 28th, 1919

J. Finnemore, The signing of the Treaty of Peace at Versailles, June 28th, 1919, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138391624

J. Finnemore, The signing of the Treaty of Peace at Versailles, June 28th, 1919, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138391624

Reports of the Australian delegation to the League, and reports submitted to the League, are reprinted in the Australian Parliamentary papers and can be found through the First consolidated index to the papers presented to Parliament 1901-1949.

The League oversaw the Permanent Court of Justice, and several other agencies and commissions were created such as the Health Organization, International Labour Organization, and Permanent Mandates Commission.

In 1946 the League of Nations was dissolved by a resolution of the 21st Assembly. Assets, property and some functions and roles were transferred to the United Nations.

newspaper clipping titled Mr. Hughes' signature

From Signing the Treaty of Peace at Versailles, Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), Sunday 18 January 1920, page 20

At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 Hughes played a conspicuous part, particularly on the questions of reparations, the former German colonies in the Pacific, and the covenant of the League of Nations. He returned to Australia in triumph, hailed as ‘the little digger’. (From the Hughes Collection, National Library of Australia)

See also The League of Nations. (1919, September 13). The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), p. 37.

black and white photo of W M Hughes

(1919). Prime Minister W.M. Hughes in London, wearing an Australian Army hat, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138394482

Treaty of peace

A copy of this document is also available in the National Library: Treaty of peace between the allied and associated powers and Germany : signed at Versailles, 28th June, 1919.

Also known as the Treaty of Versailles, this is the treaty of the Paris Peace Conference. It includes the planned formation of the League of Nations as part of the text.

National Archives of Australia

The National Archives of Australia holds a wealth of documents relating to the League of Nations. These include over 1900 items such as official files, reports, prime ministerial personal papers, maps and photographs. Over 130 of these items have been digitised and are available online via the Archives' website.

League of Nations documents

League of Nations publications are still of interest to researchers and students, as a primary source for history of the period, e.g. for international economic developments of the period 1920-1945.

Australia was a member of the League and held two mandates (for trust territories of Nauru and New Guinea) under the League.

The Library’s collection of League of Nations publications includes:

  • official papers that were distributed to members of the League
  • sales publications that were of interest to the public
  • archival records of individuals, institutions, and governments e.g. the personnel files of League employees

Because it was a member of the League, Australia received two sets of the League’s publications. The National Library has more than one set of some of the serial titles and two sets of the Documents, which are reports presented to the Council or Assembly. The two sets are separately filed by sales number and Assembly or Council documents number (the official number). Use the following finding aids to locate them:

  • official number
  • sales number
  • Assembly or Council document (e.g. Supplement number of the Official Journal)

League of Nations documents, 1919-1946; a descriptive guide and key to the microfilm collection. Edited by Edward A. Reno, Jr (1973-75).

Note that The National Library does not hold the microfilm collection, only print copies. In the Main Reading Room Reference Collection, RFq 341.22016 R418

Guide to League of Nations publications; a bibliographical survey of the work of the League, 1920-1947 by Hans Aufricht (1951).

This includes an introduction to the League’s complex documentation system and lists Assembly and Council meeting records.

Consolidated catalog of League of Nations publications offered for sale by Mary Eva Birchfield (1976)

Catalogue of selected publications on economic and financial subjects, a guide to the documents of value in connection with the formulation of postwar economic policies (1943)

Lists documents of permanent interest in the area of finance.

A repertoire of League of Nations serial documents, 1919-1947 by Victor Yves & Catherine Ghebali (1973)

Icludes information on limited and classified documents.

black and white photo of Stanley Melbourne Bruce

Australia. Department of Information. ([192-?]). Portrait of Stanley Melbourne Bruce, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136662084

Stanley Melbourne Bruce (1883-1967) represented Australia at the League of Nations from 1932 to 1939, with a seat on the Council from 1933 to 1936. He was President of the League of Nations Council in 1936.

More information about Bruce and the League of Nations is found at Australia's PMs from the National Archives of Australia.

Search Trove newspapers for contemporary reports such as The First Time Australian President: The League Council from the Launceston Examiner, 20 February, 1936

The National Library of Australia holds several manuscript items for Bruce however not all are relevant to the League of Nations. They include newspaper clippings and a circular, 1921-1939

Requesting League of Nations documents

Most League of Nations documents may be identified by one or all of the following numbers:

  • Official number
  • Sales number
  • Committee or Conference number

Use the Finding Aids listed in the previous section to help find documents in the relevant subject area.

Explanation of numbering

There are two copies that can be retrieved from the stacks. They are as follows:

Official number

These numbers are found in the upper right corner of the first page of a publication. They cover Assembly, Council documents and Circular Letters send out from the Secretariat to one or more of the Member States of the League.

For example, see Committee for the International Repression of Terrorism. Report Adopted by the Committee on April 26th, 1937. Geneva, 1937, 13p

C.222.M.162.1937.V
  • This number indicates that the item is a Council document. It is the 222nd document distributed in 1937 to Council members, and the 162nd document distributed to League members. As the National Library holds only documents distributed to members, the item is filed within the Council document set by Member number (M162). Find this at League of Nations papers, call number CAC SQ341.1/LEA.
  • When requesting the item, fill in the year (1937) and Number (162) in the relevant fields in the online request form.
Sales number

These numbers are found on the verso of the title page or the lower right corner of the title page. A finding aid such as Consolidated catalog of League of Nations publications offered for sale gives the sales number for each document; in most cases, both the official number and the sales number are given. In our example document, the sales number is:

Ser.LoN.P.1937.V1
photo of a bound document

If you only have the sales number, when requesting the item through the Catalogue at League of Nations papers, request the year (1937) and specify Document number V1.

The document will be delivered in a bound volume (pictured). Volumes also include indexes.

The League of Nations Treaty Series is a collection of treaties and subsequent treaty actions registered with and published by the Secretariat of the League of Nations pursuant to Article 18 of its Covenant. It contains the texts of treaties and records of subsequent treaty actions published in 205 volumes of the League of Nations Treaty Series.

The National Library has complete holdings of treaties which were registered with the Secretariat from 1920 to 1946, see the Treaty Series. Use the World Treaty Index to identify the correct volume.

If you do not know the official number or sales number of the document, please contact our Ask a Librarian service for assistance.

League of Nations Resolution

I am looking for a recommendation of the Assembly of the League of Nations 10 October 1932 concerning the return of objects of national artistic heritage after theft or illegal export found in another country.

We can use the online finding aid at Gale Primary Sources - Media Guide, selecting League of Nations Documents and Serial Publications, 1919-1946. To search for a particular document, it is best to download the reel or author index. In this case, we can do a text search for “works of art” using either index. This gives the League of Nations title:

Preservation of Historical Monuments and Works of Art.

Date: Nov. 23, 1932

Additional Information: C.L.176.1932.XII[A]: Form ltr. by the SG, forwarding an Assembly resolution, Oct. 10, concerning the transmission to governments by the Committee on Intellectual Cooperation of the recommendations drawn up by the Athens Conference concerning the preservation of historical monuments and works of art.

The note in this entry confirms that we are looking for an Assembly resolution, so we can go to the National Library Catalogue record for Records of the ... ordinary session of the Assembly. Meetings of the Committees; we need to request the year 1932. The resolution is also noted in the index under ‘Arts and Letters’ and is repeated in Committee meetings and Plenary Meetings.

In the Eighth Plenary Meeting, Monday October 10th, 1932, agenda item number 40: Work of the international organisation for intellectual co-operation : report of the sixth committee : resolutions.

"Preservation of Historical Monuments

(11) The Assembly

Approving the resolution adopted by the International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation and acceding to the latter's request that it should communicate to the Members of the League the Recommendations drawn up by the Athens Conference concerning the preservation of historical monuments and works of art:

Entrusts to the Organisation for Intellectual Co-operation the task of transmitting the said recommendations to the Governments on its behalf."

The index of the records also lists Committee sessions where the resolution was discussed.

Other resources

The Library has over 300 print items on the subject of the League of Nations. Library material on the history of the League and its legacy can be found by searching the catalogue.

You can conduct a basic search to find material regarding the League of Nations by entering your search terms or key words into the text box. Once you run your search, you can narrow the results using the filters listed on the right hand side of the page.

You can also find material regarding the League of Nations by searching subject headings. To do this, visit the catalogue and change the drop down menu to subjects. As you begin typing in the text box, the catalogue should suggest some relevant subject headings.

Individual items will also include links. When you click on a subject heading, it will open a list of every item in the catalogue with that heading.

The Treaty of Versailles included the planned formation of the League of Nations as part of the text. Selected works on the Treaty and the Paris Peace Conference include:

Subject headings for the League of Nations include:

Selected print resources

Detail from Tenth assembly League of Nations in Hall of the Reformation, Geneva, 1929 [picture]: Australian delegation on Lq/t front. From the Papers of Henrietta Drake-Brockman, 1882-1975 [manuscript], MS 1634

The Library holds several manuscript collections related to the League of Nations. These can be requested through the Catalogue and viewed in the Special Collections Reading Room. Papers include:

  • Hall Collection
    Hessel Duncan Hall (1891–1976) joined the League of Nations Secretariat in Geneva in 1927. In 1935 he was given responsibility within the Secretariat for the British dominions. The collection contains extensive papers relating to the League, including a scrapbook of letters and clippings on the League of Nations
  • Groom Collection
    Sir Littleton Ernest Groom (1867–1936) led the Australian delegation at the Assembly of the League of Nations in Geneva in 1924. Series 6 and 7 of the Papers of Sir Littleton and Lady Jessie Groom, circa 1867-1962 contain material, including addresses and notes, on the League of Nations. Information can be found in the online finding aid.
  • Latham Collection
    Sir John Greig Latham (1877–1964) wrote papers in support of the League of Nations and attended the League of Nations General Assembly in 1926. The Papers of Sir John Latham include minutes of meetings and diaries dealing with the League of Nations; see the online finding aid.
  • Hughes Collection
    William Morris Hughes (1862-1952) played a conspicuous part at the Paris Peace Conference, particularly on the questions of reparations, the former German colonies in the Pacific, and the covenant of the League of Nations. Series 35, 16, 24, and 42 of the Papers of William Morris Hughes relate to the League of Nations.
  • Robert Garran
    Sir Robert Garran (1867-1957) accompanied W. M. Hughes to the Peace Conference of 1918-1919. Series 11 of the Family papers of Robert Garran contains memoranda, reports and correspondence dealing with the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, 1925 and 1930 meetings of the League of Nations, and the Australian delegation at the 11th Assembly.
  • Papers of Joe Starke, 1928-2000
    Joseph Gabriel (Joe) Starke (1911-2006) became a member of the Secretariat of the League of Nations in Geneva in 1935, in the League secretariat's drug section dealing with the opium trade. The Acc04.227 and Acc06.078 instalments of the papers deal with the League of Nations. See also Obituaries Australia.
black and white photo of men sitting in a meeting

Detail from Tenth assembly League of Nations in Hall of the Reformation, Geneva, 1929 [picture]: Australian delegation on Lq/t front. From the Papers of Henrietta Drake-Brockman, 1882-1975 [manuscript], MS 1634, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-229727137

JSTOR contains historical journal articles and book reviews relating to the League of Nations.

You can access JSTOR offsite by visiting our eResources portal and searching for this resource under the Browse eResources tab. Journal titles within JSTOR include:

  • Bulletin of International News
  • The American Journal of International Law
  • Journal of the Royal Institute of International Affairs
  • Journal of Comparative Legislation and International Law

The Library’s oral history collection includes interviews with distinguished Australians, some with connections to the League of Nations.

One noteworthy item is J.G. Starke interviewed by John Farquharson. J.G. Starke was a barrister, author and League of Nations historian.

A good source of contemporary material on the League of Nations is through newspaper articles. Many historical newspapers can be searched online.

Australian digitised newspapers are available through Trove. Some public lists have been made by Trove users, such as The Peace.

The Library of Congress has a guide to United States newspapers at Topics in Chronicling America - League of Nations

A range of historical newspapers from Great Britain can be found through our subscription eResource Gale NewsVault. This database can be accessed offsite using your Library login - simply visit our eResources portal and search for this resource under the Browse eResources tab.

Henry Lawson on the League

League of Nations poem by Henry Lawson

The League of Nations by Henry Lawson appeared in The Bulletin, Vol 40, No. 2040, 20 March, 1919, page 20.

The League of Nations by Henry Lawson appeared in The Bulletin, Vol 40, No. 2040, 20 March, 1919, page 20.

The Edith Trilogy is a Frank Moorhouse series using the rise and fall of the League of Nations as a background to the story.

Page published: 04 May 2021

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