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Collective Security is a system for ensuring peace in which participants agree that an attack against one of them will be treated as an attack against them all and will result in a collective military respose.
It is the original theory behind many famous current and historical military alliances, most notably NATO. It has also been cited as a principle of the United Nations, and the League of Nations before that. By employing a system of collective security the UN hopes to dissuade any member state from acting in a manner likely to threaten peace, thereby avoiding any conflict.
The theory is considered by politicians to be more successful when applied to military alliances than in attempts to use it as a universal principle as with the League of Nations and UN.
Cited examples of the limitations of the latter form of collective security include the Falklands War. When Argentina invaded the islands, which are overseas territories of the United Kingdom, many UN members stayed out of the issue, as it did not directly concern them.
An example given of the failure of the League of Nations to adhere to collective security is the Manchurian Crisis, when Japan occupied part of China (who was a League member). After two years of deliberation, the League passed a resolution condeming the invasion without committing the League's members to any action against it. The Japanese replied by quitting the League of Nations. This inaction by the League subjected it to criticisms that it was weak and concerned more with European issues (most leading members were European), and is considered by many to have encouraged, or at least to have not deterred, the aggression shown by the Axis powers leading to World War Two.
However, many politicians who view the system as having faults also believe it remains a useful tool for keeping international peace.
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