Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2018

Extended Essay – fyw899

Introduction

The victorious allied nations convened at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 with different

political objectives. Consequently, negotiations varied between cooperative and fractious.

More specifically, there were disparate agendas in the shaping of The Covenant of the League

of Nations . 1 A key consideration by the commission appointed to draft and approve the

Covenant was the question of international equality, often referred to as the 'racial equality

issue'. Although the delegates supported the article for "equality of nations and the just

treatment of their nationals" 2 by a vote of 11 out of 19, Woodrow Wilson negated the majority

vote. In dismissing the amendment, Wilson stated "serious objections" by some delegates,

which was an oblique reference to Australia’s Prime Minister, W.M Hughes. 3 The scuttling of

the Covenant’s racial equality article was Australia’s first diplomatic action as a British

dominion that had the authority for its own foreign policy. Notably, there are no public records

as to how Australia interests were served by this provocative action.

W.M. Hughes attended the Paris Peace Conference because he insisted that self-governing

British dominions had a right to assert their international claims. It was Australia's first foray

on the international stage. The critical question is what motivated Hughes to object to Japan's

proposal for the 'racial-equality' article in the Covenant? Historians generally argue that

Hughes was motivated to challenge the racial equality vote because of the domestic political

issue surrounding the 'White Australia Policy'. 4

However, a closer examination of the

1 The Covenant of the League of Nations was negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference. The Covenant would become the framework for how allies would ensure peaceful diplomatic relations following the First World War. The Covenant also provided the rules by which mandates would be managed, a feature that was of direct interest to Japan and Australia. (League of Nations, Covenant of the League of Nations , 28 April 1919) 2 The Covenant of the League of Nations , signed at the Paris Peace Conference, 28 June 1919. The drafting and agreement by the commission included members such as: Woodrow Wilson (US), Jan Smuts (British Empire), Makino Nobuaki (Japan). 3 Northedge F.S. (1980). The League of Nations: It’s Life and times, 1920-1946. Leicester University Press 4 The White Australia Policy also known as the Immigration Restriction Act (1901) was one of the first legislations passed by the Australian Government, effectively restricting the immigration of non-Europeans. Gorlinski, Virginia. 2007. "White Australia Policy | Summary & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica . https://www.britannica.com/event/White-Australia-Policy

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