Mapping the League

Maps played a vital role in popularising the League of Nations. A borderless world map served as an unofficial emblem of the organisation and a statement of its unrealised ambition. A total of 63 countries joined, with its greatest extent being 58 states between September 1934 (Ecuador’s entry) and February 1935 (Paraguay’s withdrawal).

The League’s changing geography presented a challenge for mapmakers. One novel approach, used in the League of Nations Union map, left non-members uncoloured to allow updates as states joined. In the example in this exhibition, Mexico and Turkey were coloured by hand after joining in 1931 and 1932. 

League maps skilfully blended persuasive and political cartography. They highlighted modernity, progress, and global reach, with national flags and statistics replacing ornamental decoration. This approach mirrored the design of the League’s headquarters, the Palais des Nations. Upon completion in 1936, it was Europe’ssecondlargest building complex after the Palace of Versailles.

However, League maps also hint at the organisation’s flaws, notably its Eurocentric bias. The United States never joined and much of the organisation’s non-white membership was a result of empire. During its founding, a racial equality amendment was championed by Japan, but blocked by the Australian Prime Minister, William Morris Hughes.