When New Zealands prime minister William Massey joined other heads of British Empire countries in signing the 1919 Treaty of Versailles to end World War I and join the League of Nations he did not regard the act as a declaration of independence. On the contrary while Canadian and South African leaders saw membership in the league as a rite of passage towards greater autonomy New Zealands leader viewed it as an unwelcome burden and a potential threat to the British Empire. This history of New Zealands relations with the League of Nations from its inception in 1920 to its demise in 1946 follows the governments transformation in attitude from its initial hostility to detached acceptance and finally passionate support in the late 1930s.