The League of Nations & International Peace

League of Nations

• Would be a group of countries that would work together to keep peace

• Aims: to stop another, to encourage disarmament, improve working conditions and tackle diseases

• 4 permanent members - Britain, France, Japan and Italy

• USA, Russia and Germany weren’t allowed to join

• Would keep peace through collective security, condemnation & economic sanctions (no army!)

How did the League of nations help people?

Had special commissions:

• Commissions for Refugees - helped to free 427,000 prisoners of war from WW1

• Health committee - campaign to kill mosquitoes and became known as the World Health Organisations (which still exists)

• International Labour Organisations - helped Greece set up social insurance, got minimum wage in 77 countries but rejected stopping children U14 working

The League in the 1920s

1920 Vilna: Lots of countries given independence after WW1, Polish took control of Vilna, League asked them to remove army but they refused = FAIL

1921-25 Upper Silesia: German and Polish live there, plebiscite held and 60% voted German control. Poland appealed. League split Upper Silesia which was accepted = SUCCESS

Other Treaties

Locarno Treaty, 1925: French and German representatives met in Switzerland and signed 7 treaties in which Germany officially accepted the boarders that the ToV had defined. They agreed to work together to settle disputes. Made Germany look like they were trying to be a peaceful nation

Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928: 65 countries met and said they would not use war as a way to solve dispute