The League Of Nations. Flashcards
(35 cards)
What were the four main things the LoN was meant to do?
S topping aggression and encouraging cooperation.
I mproving living and working conditions. This could be done by increasing trade and it was felt that poverty and injustice were important causes of war and un-rest.
D isarmament. This would make war impossible.
E nforce the treaty of Verailles.
What was the league meant to do?
It was meant to act as a world parliament where representatives from each country would come to discuss matters.
What happened in the Aaland islands?
In 1921Finland and Sweden were willing to fight over the islands in the Baltic. The LoN held an enquiry and said they belonged to Finland. Sweden accepted.
What happened in Upper Silesia?
1921
Germany and Poland argued over who owned the area. A vote (plebiscite) was held and the land was split up so the people who wanted to be Polish were Polish and the Germans German.
What were the other positives to the League of Nations?
It sent 400,000 prisoners of war home.
It made the international labour organisation. This lead to safer working conditions and a 48 hour working week.
The health committee fought leprosy and malaria.
It produced a international Highway Code and marked shipping lanes.
It blacklisted company’s that dealt drugs.
It freed 200,000 slaves in British Sierra Leone.
It challenged the use of forced labour in the Tanganyika railway. The death rate went from 50% to 4%.
Why didn’t america join the LoN?
What did this mean for the league?
They didn’t like the ToV as many had Germain ancestors.
They throught they would have to defend the empires of Britain and France and they were against empires.
They fought it would be too expensive to solve every little dispute in Europe. They wanted nothing to do with it.
Britain and France were the most powerful nations but were still too weak.
Economic sanctions would only work if a powerful nation like America supported them.
Who were the members of the League?
Britain and France were init for 26 years. They couldn’t make up for the loss of America. Some British politicians said they wouldn’t have joined if they knew what America would do.
These two powers would do what they wanted and not follow the league.
Germany and Russia weren’t allowed to join at first. Germany had started the war and Russia had surrendered. It was also communist and considered an outsider.
How was the League of Nations organised?
The assembly. Nations would have representatives which would vote on things here.
The council. This would vote on things that would be discussed in the assembly. It consisted of permanent and non-permanent members.
The permanent secretariat did all the administration. Record keeping and such like.
What happened in Silewa in 1919?
Poland and Czechoslovakia fought over this area which was rich in coal. In 1920 the League split the area up between the two nations. Neither was best pleased but they accepted it and stopped fighting.
What happened with Greece and Bulgaria?
In 1925 Greece invaded Bulgaria which didn’t fight back. It went to the LoN which told Greece to leave and pay £45000 which it did.
What could the LoN do to an aggressive nation?
It could give them a warning.
It could have other nations in the League stop trading with the nation. A trade ban.
It could have other nations invade.
What could the powers do to smaller nations?
Veto their proposals.
What happened in Vilna 1920?
Vilna was the largest city in Lithuania, but contained many poles. The polish army invaded. France wanted to be friends with Poland and Britain didn’t want to act alone so nothing happened.
What happens in the Ruhr?
When Germany stopped the payments, France and Belgium didn’t go to the league but invaded.
What happened in Corfu 1923?
An Italian general was murdered in Greece. Mussolini invaded Corfu and demanded compensation. Greece went to the league and it said Greece should pay when the murderers were found and that Italy should leave corfu.However Italy didn’t leave and went to Britain and France who said Greece should pay up at once. Mussolini got what he wanted by using aggression, which was a bad sign.
Why did the league achieve some success in the 1920s?
The disputes were between countries who did ‘t want to fight and they listened to the league.
They succeed in the Aaland islands and in Upper Silesia.
The League of Nations was doomed to fail from the beginning. 10
Yes as it had no power.
America didn’t join. Give the three reasons. It hadn’t been damaged like Britain and France in the war and was stronger. Only America could make trade sanctions work. It needed its power.
Russia was also powerful but didn’t join till the 1930s. They couldn’t join as they were communist. When Poland invaded and took land the LoN did nothing also because it was communist. They should of had Russia’s help.
Some will disagree as it had Britain, France, Italy and Japan which were powerful but they didn’t follow the rules. Give examples.
Explain the Manchurian crisis.
The Manchurian railway was important to Japan as it provided materials which Japan would turn to goods to sell to China and Japan.
The depression meant America put tariffs on Japanese goods and the Japanese economy was hit. They invaded China to make up for it.
They claimed China had sabotaged the Manchurian railway and invaded Manchuria in 1931 and won by feb 1932.
China goes to the league for help. They want America to impose trade sanctions but they weren’t in the League. Japan said it was self defence.
In Feb 1933 Japan invades the rest of China. On the 24th ,one year after they Japan invaded, the LoN says Japan should leave.
Japan left the LoN on March 27 1933. Britain and France didn’t want to risk their navy. The USSR and USA could have stopped them but they weren’t in the league.
What happened in Abyssinia?
In 1896 Italy tired to take Abyssinia and failed. Mussolini wanted the minimal wealth and fertile lands of Abyssinia as well as revenge and an empire like the roman one. He needed military victories. In Dec 1934 there was a border dispute between Ethiopia and Italian Somalia. This was Italy’s que to get ready to invade. The emperor of Abyssinia went to the LoN for help.
Britain and France played for time. They wanted Italy as an allele against Germany.
Oct 1935 Italy invades. A powerful nation had invaded a weaker one. The league was set up for this and it was right on its door step.
There was a ban on arms sales to Italy, it banned imports from Italy and exports to Italy of rubber, tin and metal.
It took 2 months to decide on an oil sanction as it would upset America.
30,000 British miners were about to lose their job because of lack of coal exports to Italy.
Britain could have close the Suez Canal but didn’t want a war. The sanctions should have been put up quicker.
Britain and France had secret discussions where they would let Italy keep Abyssinia.
Italy left the LoN in 1937.
How did the League of Nations fail?
F rench and British self interest. A besent powers I eneffective sanctions L ack of an armed force. U n fair treaty R eaching decisions slowely E uropean club.
Explain British and French self intrest.
They wanted Italy as an allie so weren’t harsh. In Manchuria France would only have acted if Britain did, which it didn’t. The france went against the rules and invaded the Rhur. At Vilna France wanted Poland as an allie and Britain didn’t want to act alone.
Explain absent powers.
The USA could have imposed trade sanctions on Japan.
They would have wanted to impose them on Italy.
Explain ineffective sanctions.
In Manchuria they wanted to impose are sanctions but couldn’t.
In Abyssinia sanctions were put up too late and the British and French economy’s were suffering because of it.
Explain the lack of an armed force.
Japan was too far away for Britain and france to do anything.
Britain and France weren’t prepared to invade Abyssinia.
