Which factor limited the League of Nations' ability to enforce its resolutions?

• A. It lacked enforcement power and did not have U.S. participation.
• B. It had a large, globally deployed military.
• C. It had superior enforcement mechanisms that were often ignored.
• D. It operated with universal veto power among all members.

Answer: (A)

Enforcement power is the crucial factor here. The League of Nations didn’t have its own armed force or a built-in way to compel countries to obey its resolutions. It depended on member states to carry out sanctions or actions, and that depended on their willingness and their own national interests. The absence of the United States, a major global power, seriously weakened the League’s legitimacy and leverage. Without U.S. participation, the sanctions and diplomatic pressure the League could muster were much less likely to deter aggressors or compel compliance, so resolutions often went unenforced. The other ideas miss this practical limitation: the League did not control a large, independent military, it did not have superior, always-ignored enforcement tools, and decisions were not backed by some universal veto mechanism, but by reluctant cooperation among states that often chose not to act decisively.