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The ideology behind ‘self-determination’ was a term that had been used by multiple leaders during and post times of war. The idea of ‘self-determination’ was that nations should have the rights to govern their own states and choose their own Governments. Russian leader Lenin saw the term ‘self-determination’ as a revolutionary principle to help destroy the European Empires, whereas Woodrow Wilson viewed it in the sense that it would remove oppressive regimes and would help to remove the revolutionary impulse and create change through gradual reform. Woodrow Wilson envisioned that ‘self-determination’ would respect the voices of the people, aspirations of nations would be respected, and that people would consent in the way that they were being governed. Although in the 14 points to peace that Woodrow Wilson brought forth to Congress, he did not mention ‘self-determination’, he only specifically mentioned that European territories should be drawn, and borders recognized. This ideology was flawed as it incapably dealt with the need for a leader of peace in a time of need. It was only directed to European nations that were seeking to obtain land and claim German colonies as part of the reparations for the war.

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The notion of ‘Racial Equality’ was one of the 2 demands that Japan brought forth at the Paris peace conference in 1919. Japan’s proposal was as such: “Equality of nations being a basic principle of the League of Nations, the High Contracting Powers agree to endorse the principle of equal and just treatment to be accorded to all alien nationals of State members of the League.” Japan intended to eliminate racial discrimination they would face in the ‘League of Nations’, being the only nation of colour alongside multiple White Anglo-Saxons nations, this was a demand that carried the support of 62% of the worlds population. Intended initially to evoke equal rights and treatment for Japan within the ‘League of Nations’ formation, this caused a worldwide debate about the deeper issues faced of racial inequalities around the world. The Paris peace treaty was an important turning point in solving some of the problems the world faced post world war 1, although it also brought to surface the underlying issue of systematic racism that existed with global leaders and politicians of the western world.

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The Paris Peace Conference in 1919 aimed to bring together the Global world leaders post world war 1 and create solutions for world peace moving forward in the long term to avoid another World War occurring. Woodrow Wilson brought forth the ‘League of Nations’, a group of nations acting as a diplomatic group to resolve international disputes and promote peace. Japan demanded that the constitution accept ‘equality and just treatment be accorded to all nations within the league’, prompting a large debate with regards to racial equality. This ultimately led to Large masses of Japanese people pressuring their Government into fighting for racial equality in a time when those of colour were not treated as equals.

The response from US President Woodrow Wilson and many other global leaders alluded to the inequality that existed between ‘white’ and ‘yellow’ races at the time. Western Powers did not agree to Japan’s demands, it was seen as a threat to the status quo of leading western nations. Allowing and accepting all races to be equal was not fathomable to British Foreign Secretary Balfour. Whilst he sympathised with the Japanese, he said that “all men of a particular nation might be considered born free and equal, although an African could not be regarded as equal of a European or an American. In 1915, the film ‘birth of the Nation’, which celebrated the Ku Klux Klan, was given a special screening at the White House and was endorsed by US President Woodrow Wilson.

Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes was adamant in refusing to consider any compromise on the matter. In his personal diary he states that “if race equality is recognized in the covenant, he and his people will leave the conference bag and baggage.” It was even amongst his Government that sent a telegraph stating, ‘neither people nor Parliament of Australia could agree to principles of racial equality.’

It was clear that the White Nations they knew that accepting the principles of racial equality could lead to a disposition of power and harm the strong positions that they had obtained. Allowing racial equality would lead to immigration, naturalisation, and land ownership from those of ‘colour’, something that the white supremacists did not want.

In conclusion, the ‘League of Nations’ was a supposed group of Global Nations promoting peace and prosperity throughout the world, dealing with international affairs and debates before conflict were to arise. However, the foundations of many of the nations bled systematic racism as they failed to accept Japans proposal for racial equality.