2.1.2 Structure of the LoN 1 Flashcards
What did the structure of the League of Nations include? (5)
- The Assembly
- The Council
- The Permanent Court of International Justice
- The Secretariat
- Special Commissions
What was the Assembly?
An international parliament. Each member state sent a representative to meet once a year. They would vote on issues and in order to pass any laws/decisions all of the votes had to be unanimous (they all had to agree)
Evaluate the Assembly
The structure of the assembly made it hard to make any quick decision or do anything quickly. It also meant that it was difficult to pass any laws/decisions because often countries disagreed so votes couldn’t be unanimous. If only 1 country disagreed, action could not be taken. Then, the Assembly would have to wait 1 year to meet again
What percentage of the League of Nations had to agree in order for a law/decision to pass?
100%
What was the Council?
Met more frequently than the Assembly. Four permanent members: Britain, France, Italy and Japan, plus four other countries that were elected to sit on the Council for three years. The Council could veto rulings made by the Assembly
Why was the Council made?
Because the Assembly only met once a year, it was decided that a smaller group of representatives should be established to try and get decisions made quicker
Who was the Council made up of?
The Council was made up of representatives of the most powerful countries in the league: Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, plus as time went on, a total of 9 countries were allowed to join the Council.
What was the problem with the decisions made in the Council?
The decisions that were made were made largely by the personal motives of the members and this was affected by the issues that each representative was facing in their own country
Why did the Council gain more power than the Assembly?
They had the power to pass any laws/decisions and veto any law/decision, even if the Assembly had made an unanimous decision on it
Who were the original members of the Council? (4)
France, Italy, Japan, Great Britain
