league of nations (context)

general aims of the League of Nations - AC/DC

• keep world peace, solve disputes that might lead to war.

• world disarmament.

• global co-operation in trade.

• humanitarian role (improve people’s lives)

• discourage Aggression

• encourage Co-operation

• encourage Disarmament

• improve living Conditions

when was the League formed

come into being in January 1920

what were the problems with the setting up of the League of Nations?

• plans were put together in a hurry → set up the TOV quickly before European peace crumbles again

• other powerful countries (USSR, Germany) were not invited to join

• American Congress decided USA shouldn’t join

what did Britain want instead of the league of nations + what was that similar to

• wanted a simpler organisation that would only meet in emergencies

• (similar to Conference of Ambassadors which oversaw the fulfilment of peace settlement of WW1)

why didn’t the USA join the League? (5)

• unpopular in the US

  • Americans with German ancestry hated the ToV, didn’t want to be part of the organisation set up to enforce it

  • After the casualties of WW1, many Americans were afraid more soldiers would be involved in conflicts (not even directly related to America)

  • the League’s economic sanctions could hurt the US

  • Americans were anti-Imperialist, and some worried the League would be used to defend British/French empires

• Wilson was too ill to run for re-election in 1920, the new candidate campaigned for American isolationism (return to normalcy) and his ideas won

why was France supportive of the League, what would it also want?

• would want League to be more powerful + have its own army

• supportive of any measure that would protect them from another German invasion.

what is the idea of collective security, which article in the Covenant of the League

key League of Nations principle

• if all nations worked together, they could force any aggressive country to stop threatening the peace

• article 10

Britain’s opinions on the League of Nations

public → for the League

private/government → some reservations

**check this?? ask hawks

who were the key members of the League of Nations (at the start)

• what were their priorities

• how many countries when set up vs end of 1930s

• France, Britain (most powerful, but damaged from war - not many resources)

  • FR/GB have different priorities: France is still worried about Germany - would bypass League to stay safe, Britain wants to rebuild trade + strengthen empire

• also Italy and Japan

• and many others (42 when it was set up, 59 by the end of the 1930s)

who later joined the League/who left (dates)

Italy, Japan, Germany, USSR

Italy left in 1937

Japan left in 1933

Germany joined in 1926 and left in 1933

USSR joined in 1934 and left in 1939

organisation of the League - the council

• structure + aim

COUNCIL

• Structure

  • small group which met more often

  • Permanent members: France, GB, Italy

    • Permanent members had a veto so could overrule/stop any action

  • Temporary members: elected by assembly for 3 years

• Aim:

  • solve disputes by talking

  • or choose to use powers: moral condemnation, economic sanctions, military force

organisation of the League - the assembly

ASSEMBLY:

• structure:

  • every country in LON sent a representative

• function:

  • recommended action to the council/admission of new members into the League

  • decisions had to be UNANIMOUS

two other bodies inside the League (brief)

• Secretariate - civil serve (kept records, prepared reports)

  • brought together relevant experts e.g. health, economy

• Permanent court of International Justice

  • to settle disputes (e.g. make decision on a border dispute)

  • but no way of enforcing the ruling

what were the main three powers of the League?

• Moral condemnation: um basically nothing, just disapproves

• Economic sanctions: If a country was aggressive, the Council could decide that League members would refuse to trade with it or lend it money.

• Military sanctions: (last resort) - Council could decide to send in solders from member states

weaknesses of the League:

• key states not in the League (no USA or USSR until 1934, or Germany until 1926)

• key states (France/Britain) act independently of League, countries act in their own self interest - nothing really binding them to League’s rulings

• League is very slow to reach decisions - Assembly only met once a year (+ unanimous decisions)

• League has no actual army, has to rely on donations from members (weak/no real power)

successes of the League in the 1920’s (no explanation, facts later) (8, don’t have to remember all probs)

• successfully solved disputes in Aland, Teschen and Bulgaria.

• League change and challenged the way countries handled disputes

• Gave confidence to smaller nations who could not protect themselves (also voice in assembly - bc unanimous, could essentially veto an action)

• rebuilding of post WW1- Europe

• setting up of research institutes and campaigns for the WHO

• repatriation of POWs

• Economic and Financial Committee sent experts to help countries like Austria/Hungary who were essentially bankrupt

• Slavery Commission worked to get rid of slavery and prostitution

how many refugees/former POWs did the League return home from WW1 and how?

over 500,000

provided them with Nansen passports

League banned what from paint and limited who’s working hours

banned lead from paint, limited small children’s working hours

What were the League of Nations' successes in the 1930s?

• Saar Commission organised the Saar plebiscite for voting to reunite with Germany - in 1935

• made nations combat the selling of illegal drugs (still functions today)

describe the Aland dispute

• 1921, dispute between Sweden and Finland

• historically Finnish territory, population wanted to be and spoke Swedish

  • Swedish inhabitants wanted independence from Finland.

  • League decided Aland islands would go to Finland, and the Finnish troops stationed there would be removed for the safety of the Swedes

  • Both countries accepted the League’s decision

describe the Teschen dispute

where is Teschen: coal-mining region between Poland and Czechoslovakia

• Poland and CS both claimed it

• around 1000 killed when fighting broke out between them in 1919

• League decided most coal-mining land would go to CS

result: the fighting stopped, but Poland didn’t accept the decision, poor relationship with CS until WW2

What were the League’s failures in the 1920’s?

• unfair decisions for Corfu (favours larger countries)

• failure to disarm other nations (damages League’s reputation and causes resentment in Germany which had been forced to disarm)

• GB/FR priorities own needs

• League showed it had no real power (relied on moral condemnation and economic sanctions sometimes)

what happened for Corfu?

1923 - dispute between Greece and Italy

• after WW1, when Italian soldiers were killed on Greek soil during the patrolling of a recently-redrawn border between Greece and Albania, Mussolini demanded 50 million lira in compensation and the execution of those responsible

• Greece refused so Italy invaded Corfu

• The League order Italy to leave Corfu but Italy refused

• after more consideration/problem moving up League ranks, League decides Italy should leave but Greece should pay the fine

• this happened, Greece apologised and paid the fine, the Italians left (but this resolution happened outside of the League)

how was this problem caused by the PPC? — weak link tbh

• Italy was promised more land by the allies

  • e.g. Dalmatia/north of Italy

  • but it didn’t contribute much to the war and constantly asked allies for resources

  • and also there wasn’t an Italian majority there

What were the League of Nations' failures in the 1930s?

• especially after the Great Depression after 1929 - League had no money

• Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 - League did nothing but condemn (and Japanese continued invading)

• Disarmament failing - Germany walks out over unfair treatment, begins rearming in secret

• Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 (slow to act, little action taken)

• people see League as increasingly irrelevant, solve disputes outside of League/don’t consult it

Why did the Depression make the League's job more difficult?

• because of unemployment and depression, people support extremist parties (e.g. Nazis who promise to solve economic problems)

• League basically couldn’t even use economic sanctions anymore because the countries feared the sanctions would further damage their own economies

• Countries (e.g. Japan) invaded other countries to get resources to help with economic depression

• Countries become isolationist/prioritise themselves

• league has no money for committees, to pay workers or set up things like instutues/campaigns

why did Japan invade Manchuria? depression? and League’s response?

• Japan’s main export was silk to the USA, but now that the USA has no money to buy silk, Japan has lost income/now less money for food/raw material

  • so expands empire militarily (into Manchuria) to pay get materials

• League orders Japanese soldiers to withdraw from area whilst the issue was being investigated. Would condemn + economic sanctions.

• Japan argues it was protecting assets in Manchuria, invaded in order to keep peace during civil war.

  • Some countries were sympathetic to Japan and leaders were reluctant to act (far away and don’t want more casualties)

describe the Abyssinian crisis + League’s response (not why yet)

1935 - Italy directly challenges League by invading Abyssinia

(attacks in October 1935 with 250,000 men + poison gas + air force) Mussolini wants resources and glory/conquest

• The League condemns and applies ineffective economic sanctions, won’t take military action.

• League doesn’t sanction oil, coal, iron or steel (essential war resources)

• GB/FR don’t close the Suez Canal (allows Italy to build up men/supplies near Abyssinia v quickly - Suez is a short-cut from Mediterranean to East Africa)

why does the League/GB/FR not take strong action on Italy

public vs private, FR/GB

League: doesn’t have much power, especially without the support of its two strongest members

• GB/FR don’t want to alienate Italy such that they can’t cooperate with it against Hitler.

• Don’t want to risk war with Italy (even though they think they could win it) because it would be a distraction/a weakening before the real enemy Germany

• in secret, (not consulting the League), the British and French foreign ministers negotiated the Hoare-Laval Pact with Mussolini. This would give two thirds of Abyssinia to Italy

• British public was sympathetic to Abyssinia, so when the Hoare-Laval pact was leaked the public was horrified. That plan was dropped but Italy still invaded Abyssinia.

the league is set up to be able to do what to the treaty of versailles

can revise it, it’s flexible

what makes the League ‘s response to Japan’s invasion of Manchuria difficult, what do Japan claim it is

they don’t declare war, they call it police action

the Japanese basically establish a puppet state in Manchuria