This essay focuses on the argument put forward by the "liberal idealists" in the interwar period on the prospects for designing international institutions to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of war. The essay will discuss the failure of the League of Nations in maintaining international peace and security; and how this led the Allied Powers of World War II to work toward the creation of an international institution that would be more effective and powerful in establishing international peace and security. The result was the creation of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, which enjoyed considerable success in maintaining peace and security while promoting international cooperation. Yet, as the examples presented in the essay show, even the UN has failed to end all wars. The role of other multilateral organizations such as the WTO, EU and ASEAN in promoting peace will also be discussed. The theory of liberalism was popular in the 1970s, when scholars argued that realism in international relations was outdated. Liberals argued that strictly national interests did not exist, because nation-states had to view their interests as part of regional, or even global, interests. Thus, importance has been given to the role of multinational cooperation - evidenced by the rise of such organizations after the creation of the UN - EU, WTO, ASEAN are some examples, mainly based on cooperation economic with an emphasis on regional economic cooperation. As these organizations became more successful, they covered more countries that saw the benefits of being part of them and expanded their cooperation from strictly economic matters to more sovereign matters. The EU's single currency is a prime example. Nations were willing to give up some of their sovereignty...... middle of paper ... in the Middle East without first having a credible replacement. This has destabilized the region and we are now experiencing the consequences. Ultimately, such events call into question the very effectiveness of the UN. The pendulum swings once again toward realism. As powerful countries like the United States, and countries with powerful backers like Israel and rogue states like North Korea, flaunt UN regulations and get away with it, there is a danger that the world once again faces the dangers of total war. This time, the only thing preventing all-out war is the fear of mutually assured destruction – the fear that the adversary also possesses the ultimate weapon – nuclear power. Liberal ideas of globalization and interconnection through multilateral organizations can diminish the threat of war. , but in reality the threat of war will never be eliminated.