To What Extent Was The League A Success?

Question 1

Aims of the league

Answer 1

To discourage aggression from any nation.
To encourage countries to co-operate, especially in business and trade.
To encourage nations disarm.
To improve the living and working conditions of people in all parts of the world.

Question 2

Covenant of the league

Answer 2

Chosen by Wilson, the name described the constitution or charter of the League of Nations. It comprised 26 articles which laid out the structure, rules, procedures, and functions of the league.

Question 3

Collective Security

Answer 3

Acting together, the members of the league could prevent war by defending the lands and interests of all nations.
The three steps planned to enforce it were:
Moral disapproval
Economic sanctions
Military sanctions

Question 4

Moral disapproval

Answer 4

If a country shows aggression, the council would meet and vote to condemn the action.

Question 5

Economic sanctions

Answer 5

If moral disapproval failed then they would impose economic sanctions on the aggressor - trade boycotts and protests.

Question 6

Military Sanction

Answer 6

If economic sanctions failed, as a last resort, the council would use military actions.
This might be sending an army to help the victim of the aggression.

Question 7

The council

Answer 7

It was smaller than the Assembly and met about 5 times a year. In 1920, the permanent members were Britain, France, Italy and Japan until 1926 when Germany joined.
The temporary members were elected by the Assembly for three year periods. No. Of temporary members increased from 4 in 1920 to 11 in 1936.
Each permanent member had a veto - decisions had to be unanimous.
The main aim was resolving disputes by talking. If this didn’t work they would enforce collective security.

Question 8

The Assembly

Answer 8

The League’s parliament.
Every country sent a representative.
They could recommend actions to the Council.
They could vote in admitting new members to the league.
They met once a year.
Decisions had to be unanimous.
They considered matters of general policy and controlled the league’s budget.
They elected the non-permanent members of the council.

Question 9

The Secretariat

Answer 9

A civil service serving all other bodies within the league.
Kept records of the League.
Brought experts together from across the world on key issues like health, disarmament.
Performed all the administrative and financial work:
Organizing conferences, distributing agendas, monitoring budgets, publishing reports, etc.

Question 10

The Permanent Court of International Justice

Answer 10

Based at The Hague, Netherlands and was made up of judges from the member countries.
Settled disputes between countries peacefully.
If asked, the court would give a decision on a border dispute between countries.
Did not know if the countries were following its ruling.
Offered an arbitration service to countries is dispute.
Provided legal advice to the council.
Staffed by 11 judges and 4 deputy judges elected for 9 years by the council and the Assembly.

Question 11

The International Labour Organization (ILO)

Answer 11

Brought together employers, governments, and workers’ representatives.
Aim was to improve the conditions of working people throughout the world.
It collected statistics and information about working conditions and how to improve them.
They tried to persuade member countries to adopt its suggestions.
Many countries, such as Britain, did not implement their suggestions.
Based in Geneva.

Question 12

The League of Nations commissions

Answer 12

The League also attempted to tackle other major problems besides disputes using agencies.
The Mandates Commissions
The refugees commissions
The slavery commission
The health committee
The Danzig Commission
Minorities Commissions
Intellectual Cooperation commissions
Special Committee for Drug Traffic
Disarmament Commission
Economic and Financial Organization

Question 13

The Mandates Commission

Answer 13

Former colonies of Germany and her allies were mandated by the LoN (Britain, France)
It was made up of teams of expert advisers who reported back to the League on how people in the mandates were being treated. Their aim was to make sure that Britain and France acted in the interests of the people of that territory, not its own interests.

Question 14

The Refugee Committee

Answer 14

Hundred of thousands of refugees had fled from areas of conflict after WW1. Some tried getting back home; others had no home to go to.
The most pressing problems were in former Russian territories: The Balkans, Greece, Armenia and Turkey.
250,000 Russians in German or French camps. 300,000 Germans a Austro-Hungarians in Soviet Russia and a million Greeks were made homeless from the Turkish War(1919-23).
Fridtjof Nansen was responsible to fix this.
Nansen, his staff and the Red Cross helped 425,000 displaced people return home or find new ones between 1920-22.
He had to find suitable transport, set up camps, create new settlements, teach new trades and skills and issue identity documents.

Question 15

The slavery commission

Answer 15

Worked to abolish slavery/slave-dealing and prostitution around the world. It was a big issue in East Africa, but was also a major concern in other parts of the world.
Many workers were not technically slaves but we’re treated like slaves.
The commission tried to help them too.
They used persistent enquiry, publication of reports and constant coaxing of governments that appeared slow or evasive.
They freed 200,00 slaves in Sierra Leone. Death rate of African workers on the Tanganyikan railway from 50%-4%
Jordan, Iraq, Japan, etc. abolished slavery.
Prostitution still existed though.

Question 16

The Health Committee

Answer 16

Attempted to deal with the problems of dangerous diseases and to educate people about health and sanitation.
WW1 brought rapid developments in medicine and ideas about public health and disease prevention.
They brought experts in and worked with charities and other independent agencies to collect health issue statistics, to spread ideas and to develop programs to fight disease.
Established links with non-member countries such as Germany, Soviet Russia, USA to provide information, service, technical assistance, advise on public health matters. Helped Soviet Russia prevent Typhus, Epidemic by doing a public health campaign. They helped reduce the incidence of leprosy and began an international campaign to exterminate mosquitos reducing malaria and yellow fever.
Developed internationally accepted vaccines for Diphtheria, Tetanus.

Question 17

The Danzig Commission

Answer 17

Exercised direct League control over the former German city.

Question 18

Minorities Commission

Answer 18

Attempted to bring about a general improvement in the way that some racial minorities were ill-treated.

Question 19

Intellectual Cooperation Organization

Answer 19

Promoted cultural exchanges and intellectual contact between academics, artists and writers.

Question 20

Special Committee for Drug Traffic

Answer 20

Campaigned to reduce drug misuse and drug smuggling.

Question 21

Disarmament Commission

Answer 21

Article 8 called all countries to disarm but by the end of the 1920s, only the defeated powers were disarmed because they were forced to by the terms of the treaty.
A minor success was the organization of the Washington Naval Conference of 1921, which led to the agreement on Naval limitation by the USA, Britain’s, France and Japan. It was impossible for the commission to convene a World Disarmament Conference before 1932 because of failure to agree on definitions, classification, and methods of armament counting.

Question 22

Economic and Financial Organization

Answer 22

At the end of WW1, many countries faced economic crisis. Austria was in danger of financial collapse as it tried to adjust to its new status as a landlocked country now dependent upon agriculture for its wealth. Expenditure had to be brought in line with the inevitable reduced revenues and in 1922 the League devised a rescue plan to achieve this. Action was taken to stabilize the currency by controlling the level of interest rates, the circulation of banknotes, and the issuing of credit. Austria was also given a substantial loan. As a result, trade soon revived, unemployment fell, and the budget was balanced. Similarly successful rescue programmed were devised for other ailing countries including Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria.

Question 23

Membership

Answer 23

Not all major countries (USA) were part of the Assembly and Council.
Britain and France usually guided policy. Any actions needed their support.
Both countries were weakened by the war and didn’t have the resources to fill the gap left by the USA.
Some British politicians wouldn’t have voted to for the League if they knew USA was absent.
They felt that without USA they had no influence for the league to work or resources and that trade sanctions would not work without USA.

Question 24

Membership USA

Answer 24

USA refused to join because most of the American Senate thought the league would drag their country into future disputes and wars.
Their absence was a body blow to the prospects of the League as the new organization was deprived from the most powerful, influential country.
The ability of the league to enforce collective security would be much reduced and the general prestige of the league would be significantly affected.

Question 25

Membership Germany

Answer 25

They weren’t allowed to join the league until proven peace-loving.
This made the League look like a winners club closely associated with the Treaty of Versailles.
Germany joined the league in 1926 and became a permanent member until 1933 when Hitler came into power.

Question 26

Membership Soviet Russia

Answer 26

They were not invited to join the league because it was communist and committed to overthrow capitalism, but they had no desire to join the league either because some of the members (Britain, France and Japan) had actively assisted in the counter-revolution during the Russian Civil War (1918-21).
By late 1920s there was more tolerance on both sides and they joined the League in 1934. It was then expelled in December 1939 following the invasion of Finland.

Question 27

Membership Japan

Answer 27

It was one of the original members but left in 1933 when it received criticism for invading Manchuria.

Question 28

Membership Italy

Answer 28

One of the original members but left in 1937 following its invasion of Abyssinia and the imposition of sanctions.

Question 29

Membership Britain and France

Answer 29

Only major countries that were members of the League throughout its existence.
They were both weakened by WW1 and had to shoulder the responsibility of trying to make the League work.
Yet Britain was concerned with maintaining its empire and many British politicians were more interested in rebuilding British trade. While France was primarily concerned with increasing security against Germany. The League often took 2nd place in the minds of British and French politicians.

Question 30

Weakness of enforcement

Answer 30

Collective security looked like a great new way of preserving peace, but with the absence of the USA would reduce the effectiveness of moral disapproval and the sanctions.

Question 31

Weakness of enforcement

Unanimous decisions

Answer 31

Decisions made by the Council or the Assembly has to be unanimous. This made it very difficult to take decisive action against a country that decided to disturb the peace.

Question 32

Weakness of enforcement

Lack of an army

Answer 32

They did not have an army. There were no standing forces to call upon if military sanctions were necessary. If such sanctions were to be imposed, then member states would be asked to contribute towards a military force. This would take time and there would be no guarantee that an appropriate army would be assembled.
Military sanctions could never be contemplated seriously when a major country was threatening world peace.

Question 33

How successful was the League in solving international disputes?

Answer 33

The Paris Peace Conference made new states and changed the borders of others. This led to disputes which had to be sorted out by the league.
The major countries of the league were weakened by WW1 and focused their energy on domestic and economic reconstruction. They had little energy to pursue international disputes, so they were sometimes handlers by the Conference of Ambassadors. They weren’t a body of the league, but leading politicians from the main members. It was closely linked to the League. There were no major disputes or threats in the 1920s.

Question 34

League successes

Answer 34

They related to relatively minor disputes . However minor disputes could lead to much more serious affairs. This was shown in the Balkan crisis in the lead-up to the First World War.

Question 35

Aaland Islands 1921

Answer 35

Rival claims from Sweden and Finland to the Aaland Islands in the Baltic Sea. Most of the islanders wanted to be ruled by Sweden.. the League investigates and awarded the islands to Finland but with safe guards for the islanders including demilitarization . Sweden accepted judgement.

Question 36

Upper Silesia 1921

Answer 36

Upper Silesia, which contained a valuable industrial area, was located in the border between Poland and Germany. It was originally granted to Poland by the draft Treaty of Versailles, the Germans protested and it was agreed to hold a plebiscite in the region. The votes suggested that it should be awarded to Germany but some rural parts of the Silesian territory had a clear favor of Poland. Following riots and protests, the League suggested a partition, a decision which was accepted by both sides. Eastern Upper Silesia went to Poland while Western Upper Silesia went to Germany.

Question 37

Mosul 1924

Answer 37

Turkey claimed the Kurdish populated province of Mosul which was part of the British mandated territory of Iraq. The league investigated and made a decision in favor of Iraq. Turkey accepted the judgement.

Question 38

Bulgaria 1925

Answer 38

In October, Greek troops invaded Bulgaria after a Greek sentry was killed in an exchange of fire on the border. Bulgaria appealed for help, but it also sent instructions to its army.
The secretary-general called a meeting of the Council in Paris. The League demanded that both forces stand down. Britain and France solidly backed the League’s judgement (they were negotiating the Locarno treaties at the same time). The league sent observers to assess the situation and judges in favor of Bulgaria. Greece had to pay £45,000 in compensation and was threatened with sanctions if it didn’t follow the ruling.
The Greeks accepted but thought it was unfair that Italy had a similar situation but had been treated more generously.

Question 39

League Failures

Answer 39

On some occasions, the League accepted the role of passive bystander and on other occasions it’s authority was ignored or undermined. A number of agreement made outside the League seemed to suggest that man countries had less than complete confidence in the ability of the League to maintain peace.

Question 40

Vilna 1920

Answer 40

After the Versailles settlement, Vilma, with a largely Polish population, was made capital of the new star Lithuania. A Polish army seized the city in 1920 as a result Lithuania mage an appeal to the League. Polish troops were asked to withdraw while a plebiscite was arranged but Poland refused. The matter was then passed to the Conference of Ambassadors who awarded Vilna to Poland.

Question 41

Occupation of the Ruhr 1923

Answer 41

When Germany could not pay reparations in 1922, the matter should have been referred to the League, but France (supported by Belgium) decides to take swift and unilateral action by ordering their troops to occupy the Ruhr in January 1923. This action served to confirm the impression of many that the League was little more than a victors club.

Question 42

Corfu 1923

Answer 42

After WW1 the border between Greece and Albania had to be sorted out. This job was given to the Conference of Ambassadors who appointed an Italian General, Tellini, to supervise it. On August 31 1923, Mussolini, the Italian prime minister, ordered the naval bombardment and occupation of the Greek Island of Corfu - 15 people were killed. This was in response to the murder of Tellini and some of his staff, who had been patrolling part of the border on August 27. The murders had taken place on Greek soil and Mussolini had immediately demanded 50 million lira in compensation as well as the execution of the assassins. When Greece was unable to locate the culprits, Mussolini resorted to direct action.
Greece appears for help and the Council was already in session, so the league acted swiftly. Articles 12 and 15 said that when League members got into a dispute and there was danger of war, members could take their dispute to the council and get a judgement. By September 7 they had prepared a judgement. It condemned Mussolini’s actions and suggested that Greece pay compensation but that would be held by the league to be paid to Italy if/when Tellini’s killers were found.
Mussolini refused and insisted that it be handlers by the Conference of Ambassadors because the League wasn’t competent to deal with the issue. He threatened to leave the league if this didn’t happen. The Conference of Ambassadors ordered Greece to pay compensation and Italy to withdraw troops from Corfu.
The impression it gave was that the bullying tactics payed off. The Conference of Ambassadors took the easiest path without thinking about the principles of international justice and Mussolini probably wouldn’t have gotten his way if Britain and France handled the situation.
On September 27 Mussolini withdrew his troops and Greece apologized and pays compensation directly to Italy.

Question 43

Geneva Protocol

Answer 43

After the Corfu incident, Britain and France devised the Geneva Protocol. This attempt to strengthen the League failed after a change of government in Britain.
If 2 members were in dispute they would have to ask the League to sort out the disagreement and the would have to accept the council’s decision.