DEFINITION

System of maintaining world peace and security by collective action of the nations of the world. If one country was under threat, the others would have to defend it even if it is of no interest to themselves and regardless of the outcome.

SIGNIFICANCE

After WWI, the League of Nations was found at the Paris Peace Conference. Its goal is to maintain world peace to prevent another world war. The principle of collective security is important because it is the basis of making coordinated decisions between all nations however, the absence of major powers such as the US, USSR, and Germany meant that collective security had little chance of succeeding. This lead to more internal conflicts and more nations dropping out, further weakening the League of Nations.