New Books in History Joseph Maiolo and Laura Robson, "The League of Nations" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Jan 23, 2026
In a riveting discussion, Joseph Maiolo, an expert in international history, and Laura Robson, a scholar of population politics, delve into their critical analysis of the League of Nations. They argue that its mission was less about fostering peace and more about controlling global resources and populations. Their insights reveal how the League's disarmament efforts aimed to protect imperial hierarchies and maintain colonial structures, challenging traditional narratives. Maiolo and Robson also highlight the League's reliance on military power and the technocratic facade it used to mask imperial ambitions.
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Disarmament Preserved Power Hierarchies
- Disarmament in the interwar League secured hierarchical military advantage rather than universal peace.
- Treaties like Washington aimed to preserve victor dominance and shape future liberal high-tech warfare.
Peace Framed To Allow Colonial Violence
- The League legitimized imperial policing while reducing the threat of total war among major powers.
- That narrowing made colonial violence more acceptable and useful to maintain global order.
Outlawing War, Not Empire
- Legal instruments like the Kellogg-Briand Pact outlawed interstate war among major powers but exempted colonial force.
- Major empires retained broad rights to use violence within their imperial or hemispheric spheres.
