Premium
Data for Peace: The League of Nations and Disarmament 1920–40
Author(s) -
Lincove David
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
peace and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1468-0130
pISSN - 0149-0508
DOI - 10.1111/pech.12316
Subject(s) - disarmament , league , political science , negotiation , transparency (behavior) , covenant , international trade , law , public administration , business , physics , astronomy
Based on Article 8 of the League of Nations Covenant, the League pursued a program to reduce and regulate national armaments to promote peace and security among nations. An integral part of the program was compiling and disseminating data on national armaments holdings, arms trade, and natural resources used to make war. The League anticipated that publishing and sharing arms data would contribute to an environment of greater transparency, international trust, and cooperation. There was a genuine belief among many disarmament supporters that data could be used as a tool to influence public opinion and national leaders, and contribute to the League's negotiations for a disarmament agreement. This philosophy of armaments data led to the publication and use of Armaments Year‐Book and Statistical Year‐Book of the Trade in Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War , representing an approach to disarmament that set a precedent for the United Nations.