League of Nations (Alternity)

The League of Nations (LoN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, promote global cooperation, and assist in preventing unnecessary warfare between sovereign states. It is the world's largest and oldest international organization. The UN is headquartered on international territory in New York City, and has other main offices in Zürich, Addis Ababa, and Prague, as well as Brussels, the home of the Global Court of Justice.

Established after World War I, the early League was unsuccessful in preventing the territorial expansion of the Japanese Empire as well as failing to prevent Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party from seizing power in the Federal States of Greater Austria. The members of the Axis Powers left the organization with the outbreak of World War II. Following the conclusion of the conflict, the League of Nations was given a greater degree of power with its own military, which saw action in the Korean War. Through the League, the United States and the Soviet Union were able to push for further autonomy for European colonial possessions in Africa. These efforts led to the independence of several nations which maintained ties to the United Kingdom and Germany through the British Commonwealth and the German Economic Association, respectively. The Cold War between the U.S. and the USSR led to constant division and tension within the organization, until peace was finally brokered between the two powers in 1995 with the signing of the Warsaw Accords.

In modern times, the League of Nations, its officers, and its agencies have won many Nobel Peace Prizes. Some commentators believe the organization to be an important force for peace and human development, while others have called it biased towards Western interests. In particular, there is a major ongoing debate between member nations over whether or not to grant formal recognition to the highly populated People's Republic of China over the currently recognized Republic of China (ROC).