Final answer:
The Kellogg-Briand Pact aimed to outlaw war but potentially led to future conflicts as nations could still justify wars as acts of self-defense due to a lack of enforcement mechanisms within the Pact.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kellogg-Briand Pact and Future Conflicts
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was an international agreement signed in 1928, which sought to outlaw war as an instrument of foreign policy. While its purpose was to secure peace by having nations commit to avoiding war and resolving disputes through peaceful means, its impact on future conflicts can be debated. One potential consequence proposed by the question is that nations might justify war as self-defense, thus leading to future conflict.
Nations found ways to justify wars as self-defense because the Pact lacked enforcement mechanisms and repercussions for violations. The inability to enforce the treaty meant that aggressive military policies could still be pursued without immediate consequence, and arguably, could be concealed as actions taken 'in self-defense'. This can be linked to the concept of appeasement, where aggressive actions by belligerent powers were ignored or allowed in the hope of maintaining peace, as seen leading up to the Second World War.
Despite the intention of the Kellogg-Briand Pact and other related international efforts, such as the League of Nations and disarmament treaties, they ultimately failed to prevent the aggressive policies and territorial expansions that led to future conflicts. The legacy of these treaties shows the complexity of maintaining international peace and the importance of effective enforcement mechanisms to support international law.