Historical League of Nations, 1933
Historical League of Nations (HLN)
Eric Bersin, Director
About Me
Class Year: Sophomore
Concentration: Depends on the day of the week, but mostly likely Chemical and Physical Biology
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Favorite Place: München, Germany
Favorite Food: Anything vegetarian, but the best is lasagna
Favorite MUN Moment: Writing a resolution to create an African Union with the “Afro” as the unit of currency
Why did you choose these topics? The League of Nations is an area much under-explored in Model UN, and if I could, I would have dozens of committees simulating this body. However, seeing as I only get two, I had to prioritize. The importance of studying the past is to see how it led to the present; for me, studying the League of Nations is a window into why things didn’t work, why the old system led to another World War, and why the UN is built the way it is today. Some of the primary differences between the League and the UN come in their powers in addressing military and economic issues. Delegates will find that trying to enact disarmament or trying to impose economic sanctions were exasperatingly difficult due to the limiting strength of the ties between member nations in the League. I hope to flesh out those flaws and find solutions that could’ve prevented things from turning out the way they did.
Some advice for new delegates: Model UN is the best time to try something new and explore what you’re interested in. Chances are you won’t see 90% of these people ever again; don’t be afraid to go out on a limb! The more you speak in committee and the more you engage with the work at hand, the more you will enjoy your time at HMUN, I promise you. As with anything, and this goes for both new and veteran delegates, if you’re unsure of anything – be it parlimentary procedure, historical facts, where the bathroom is – ask!!! Your assistant directors and I are here because we want to be, and anything we can do to help you is our pleasure.
HMUN is the best because… Harvard Model UN was the first ever. This conference has its origins before the UN even existed, starting as a simulation of the League of Nations. It doesn’t get much more legit than that.
Topics:
Topic: Disarmament
With the close of the Great War, it is time for the nations of Europe to examine the causes of this most catastrophic conflict. Indeed, one of the primary motivations for creating the League of Nations was to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. Naturally, the first course of action has been to promote disarmament. Of course, this has not been nearly so straightforward. In the course of the Great War, it became clear that those countries that were prepared for war were the ones who were most successful. While one might have hoped that less-armed countries would have been able to remain neutral, the newly adopted strategy of “total war” has made neutrality an idealist relic. Thus, the delegates of the League of Nations must find a balance. We must provide the means for countries to safely disarm themselves, such that they may retain what is necessary for reasonable self-protection without threatening the security of their neighbors.