history league of nations

studying history!

aims of the league 

• disarmament

• collective security

• increased trading

• humanitarian aid

why did the americans hate the league?

• they didn’t want to send their troops

• they were worried sanctions would hurt their trade

• german-americans (largest ethnic grp) hated the treaty of versailles

• they didn’t want the us to solve europe’s problems

the assembly

• the main meeting of the league that met every year

• every country sent a representative

• recommend action to the council only

• had to be unanimous decisions → impossible to decide

the council of ambassadors

• smaller group with major powers

• met 5 times a year, more for emergencies

• permanent members and temporary members, elected for a 3 year period

• permanent members had a veto- even if all others voted for, they could tip it to against

• used moral condemnation → ineffective

• sanctions & military force wasn’t acceptable so soon after war

secretariat:

• recorded the league & prepared reports

• brought global experts together

• was understaffed & badly planned

PCIJ (justice)

• court of justice

• 15 judges, only gave opinion when asked

• no enforcing power

• based at Hague, netherlands

ILO (labour)

• international labour org.

• improve the conditions of the working people, end slavery

• collected facts & stats and tried to persuade countries to fix it

health committee

• disease prevention & health

• very effective, halted malaria

refugees committee

• get refugees back to their homes

• especically those in russia

mandates commission

• reported on how the people in the mandates were being treated

• administration of mandates

• ensured no bias on france and britain’s part

manchurian crisis

• japan was in problems due to the depression

• claimed china attacked their manchurian railway

• set up govt. in manchuria (mukden)

• china appeals (japan claimed that china was in anarchy so it had to step in)

  • japan was one of the 4 leading members of the league

• the lytton report said that japan was wrong

• japan invaded china further, left the league

• they couldn’t agree on anything → hitler & mussolini are inspired

abyssinian crisis

• in 1896 italy had been defeated by abyssinian tribespeople - mussolini wanted revenge

• dispute in the wal-wal oasis, mussolini claimed that it was italian land

• haile selassie (leader of abyssinia) appealed

  • 9 month delay

  • stresa pact- italy on allies’ side → blind eye towards abysinnia

  • kept suez canal open even though closing → stop italy

• france & britain signed a secret treaty to allow italy to take abysinnia

  • hoare-laval pact

  • leaked to french press, scandal prevailed

• didn’t impose sanctions

• hitler re-arms rhineland, big 2 panick & decide they need italy as an ally

• may 1936: adis ababa is captured

vilna 1920-29

• vilna, the new capital of lithuania, was annexed by poland

• league ordered polish withdrawal & plebiscite

• couldn’t enforce

aaland islands 1921

• island b/w finland and sweden

• finnish but majority of the people were swedish

• league gave it to finland but special protection for swedish ppl

  • no finnish armed forces allowed

• countries accept, all good 🙂

corfu 1923

• an italian league of nations guy was killed on the border between greece and albania

• italy blamed greece and invaded the island of corfu

• league condemned mussolini, who said he’d leave the league

  • unless the problem was referred to the council of ambassadors (a smaller faction)

• britain was prepared to send forces into corfu, but france was invading ruhr right then

• the council of ambassadors decided that the greeks should pay italy

the geneva protocol

• 1924, to prevent corfu from happening again

• if 2 members were arguing, the league would sort it out

• britain’s govt. got changed, new one didn’t sign the protocol

bulgaria 1925

• greece invaded bulgaria after a skirmish

• bulgaria appealed for help, told army to not engage because league would help

• france & britain agreed on bulgaria’s side

• greece paid up grumbling, win for the league

upper silesia

• both poland and germany claimed it (was originally german but majority poles)

• industrial region

• industrial areas → poland, rural areas → germany

• accepted at the time, fuelled hate afterwards

hyperinflation & the dawes plan:

• hyperinflation & poverty is rampant in germany

• american loans lead to a better industry

• this lead to increased employment & production

• which generated money to pay back reparations

• reparations went to france and britain

• which were used to pay american war loans

• helped germany financially & gained stability

• increased trade to gain stability

washington naval agreement 1922

• wanted to limit japan

• between britain, usa, japan, italy

• did not restrict the number of ships allowed

  • weightage of ships restricted

• not part of the league of nations

• the league of nations failed to ensure disarmament