What international organization was created by the Treaty of Versailles?

The international organization created by the Treaty of Versailles was the League of Nations. Its founding charter, the Covenant of the League of Nations, formed Part I of the treaty signed on 28 June 1919.

The League was designed to prevent future wars through collective security, negotiation and arbitration. It also became involved in areas such as public health, labor conditions, refugees, minority protection and the administration of mandates over former German and Ottoman territories.

The treaty came into force on 10 January 1920, and the League’s first Council meeting took place six days later. Its headquarters were in Geneva, Switzerland. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson strongly promoted the idea, but the United States never joined because the U.S. Senate rejected participation in the treaty system.

The League of Nations is often confused with the United Nations, which was created after World War II in 1945. The League was its important predecessor, but it could not stop aggression by powers such as Japan, Italy and Germany. It was formally dissolved in 1946, with many responsibilities transferred to the United Nations.