The League and Disarmament in the 1920s

Anti-war sentiments and films increased public demand for disarmament, leading to the League of Nations organizing the World Disarmament Conference in 1932. Expectations were high for nations to reduce the burden of armaments.

While many believe disarmament is possible, the public questioned whether governments with large military forces were truly earnest in their desire for peace. A disarmament treaty could change the international atmosphere, but international idealism often clashed with national self-interest.

Poland's former prime minister Paderewski highlighted the difficulty of the task, stating that while disarmament is a good intention, 'everyone expects the other fellow to disarm, but he's not ready to disarm himself.'

At the Geneva conference, mass petitions with millions of signatures were delivered from around the world. These petitions aimed to pressure governments and demonstrate the public's desire to banish war, with participants having great hopes for substantial disarmament.