The Failure of the League of Nations Flashcards

Vocabulary terms and key concepts regarding the League of Nations' role in the events leading to World War Two.

League of Nations

An international organization created after WWI meant to prevent another global war by acting as a mediator, investigating conflicts, and applying economic sanctions.

Isolationism

The belief that a country should focus on its own internal affairs and avoid involvement in international conflicts.

Economic sanctions

A tool used by the League of Nations against aggressor countries to prevent conflict and injustice.

Manchuria (Manchukuo)

The site of a 1931 invasion by Japan, representing the first major crisis for the League of Nations in the 1930s.

Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

The nation invaded by Italy in 1935, which served as the second major crisis the League of Nations attempted to resolve in the 1930s.

Spanish Civil War

A conflict occurring from 1936 to 1939 that constituted the third major crisis for the League of Nations leading up to World War Two.

Statute of Westminster

A 1931 law that gave Canada control over its own foreign policy.

Weaknesses of the League of Nations

Two major flaws: the absence of major countries (especially the USA) and the lack of a military to enforce decisions.