Work of the League's agencies Flashcards
(16 cards)
Commission: International Labour Organisation [ILO] - Aims
To bring workers, employers and governments together to improve the conditions that people worked in.
Commission: International Labour Organisation [ILO] - Successes
1922- recommended banning the use of white
lead in paint as it was poisonous
1930- helped Greece set up social insurance (to
help people if they were unemployed
because of illness)
1928- 77 countries agreed to set a minimum
wage.
In Tanganyika, Africa, slave labour was being used
to build a new railway, but conditions were
so bad that 50% of workers died. The
League challenged this and reduced the
death rate to 4%.
Commission: International Labour Organisation [ILO] - Failures
1919- tried to stop children under the age of 14
from working - this suggestion was not
adopted by most members because they
thought it would cost too much money
1935- suggested that the working day be
limited to 8 hours; when members voted
on this, only 4 voted in favour of it, saying it
would cost industries too much. Similarly,
the suggestion that workers should be paid
for their holidays was unpopular.
The Commission for Refugees- Aims
To return prisoners of war home and support refugees by improving camp conditions, finding new homes, or returning them to their own countries once the threat of conflict had passed.
The Commission for Refugees- Successes
1921 - League helped free about 427,000 out of
5000,000 prisoners of war still imprisoned
from the First World War and returned
home.
1917 - revolution led to civil war in Russia - 1.5
million fled Russia to refugee camps and
the League helped them find new homes.
1922- Turkey clashed with Greece- people forced
to flee to refugee camps. League set up
refugee camps, sent doctors, and homes
for found for around 600,000 Greeks
fleeing from Turkey.
Created the Nansen Passport, a document that could be used as identification by refugees.
The Commission for Refugees- Failures
1933 - The League tried to appoint a commissioner for refugees, who were mainly Jewish trying to flee Germany. Germany rejected this proposal, so a unanimous vote could not be reached and the motion was defeated. A commissioner was appointed but as an independent body and so didn’t have as much power.
The Slavery Commission - successes only
Organised raids on the camps of slave traders in Sierre Leone, setting 200,000 people free. In 1927 Sierre Leone announced that slavery was to be abolished altogether.
The Economic and Financial Committee - Successes
Austria and Hungary had lost the war and were trying to rebuild their economies, the League sent financial experts to help so that the two countries would not go bankrupt.
Developed codes for importing and exporting so that all members were following the same rules.
The Economic and Financial Committee - failures
When global depression hit after 1929, the commission was unable to cope.
The Organisation for Communications and Transport - Aims
Regulated transport developed during the war in order to keep people safe.
The Organisation for Communications and Transport - Successes
Introduced shipping lanes, which meant that fewer collisions occurred.
Produced an international Highway Code so that car drivers followed the same traffic rules wherever they travelled.
The Health Committee
Started an international campaign to kill mosquitoes, which spread diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.
Worked with the government in Russia to organise an education programme to teach people about the disease typhus was spread
Sent doctors to look after refugees in turkey and helped improve living conditions in refugee camps in the 1920s
The Health Committee was later renamed the World Health Organisation ( WHO), which still exists today.
The Permanent Central Opium Board- aims
To stop the Cultivation and distribution of opium. Opium was used legally used as a painkiller but some drugs companies also sold it illegally.
After 1925 the Board became the Permanent Central Narcotics Board and tackled other drugs as well.
The Permanent Central Opium Board- Successes
Introduced a system where companies had to have a certificate to say that they were allowed to import opium for medicinal purposes.
Blacklisted 4 largs companies that were involved in trading illegal drugs.
The Permanent Central Opium Board- Failures
Some historians claim that key members of the League were not really dedicated to stopping the sale of opium, as they made large amounts of money from it.
Name the 7 commissions set up by the League of Nations
- International Labour Organisation
- The Commssion for Refugees
- The Slavery Commission
- The Economic and Financial Commission
- The Organisation for Communications and
Transport - The Health Committee
- The Permananet Central Opium Board
