The League of Nations and the Road to World War II

Vocabulary flashcards covering the creation, structure, successes, and ultimate failures of the League of Nations leading up to World War II.

League of Nations

An international organization created after World War I as part of the Treaty of Versailles to prevent future conflicts.

Collective Security

The principle that if one country attacked another, all League members would cooperate to stop the aggressor.

The Assembly

A forum within the League involving representatives from every member state where all important decisions required unanimity.

The Council

A body that dealt with urgent international disputes, including permanent members Britain, France, Italy, and Japan, each with veto power.

Secretariat

The branch of the League responsible for organizing meetings and preparing reports.

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

A part of the League that worked to improve workers’ rights, reduce child labour, and campaign for shorter working hours.

Refugees Committee

A committee that helped return approximately $400,000$ prisoners of war and introduced international refugee passports for stateless people.

Health Committee

A committee that researched diseases like malaria, cholera, and leprosy, and whose work influenced the later creation of the World Health Organization.

Slavery Commission

A group that campaigned against forced labour and slavery in Africa and Asia, helping to free thousands of people.

Aaland Islands Dispute ($1921$)

An early success where the League decided islands belonging to Finland would remain Finnish while protecting Swedish culture, accepted by both nations.

Vilna Dispute ($1920$)

A failure where Poland occupied a city belonging to Lithuania; the League failed to act because Britain and France refused to use force.

Corfu Crisis ($1923$)

A major failure where Mussolini invaded a Greek island; Italy successfully ignored the League's authority and forced Greece to pay compensation.

Geneva Protocol

A proposal meant to strengthen the League by forcing members to accept its decisions, which failed when Britain refused to support it.

Bulgaria Crisis ($1925$)

A success where the League ordered a ceasefire and forced Greece to withdraw from Bulgarian territory after a border incident.

Dawes Plan

A plan that helped stabilize the German economy through American loans and improved European trade in the late $1920$s.

Locarno Treaties

Agreements that improved relations between Germany and France by guaranteeing Germany’s western borders.

Kellogg-Briand Pact ($1928$)

An agreement signed by $65$ countries declaring that war should not be used to settle international disputes.

Disarmament Conference ($1932$–$1934$)

A failed effort to limit military weapons; its collapse led Hitler to justify rearming Germany and withdraw from the League in $1933$.

Wall Street Crash

An event that triggered a worldwide economic depression, leading countries to prioritize national interests over collective security.

Manchurian Crisis ($1931$–$1933$)

A failure where Japan invaded northern China after the Mukden Incident; the League's slow response led Japan to withdraw from the organization.

Lytton Commission

A League investigation that took over a year to conclude that Japan had acted aggressively in Manchuria.

Abyssinian Crisis ($1935$–$1936$)

Considered the final death of the League, where Italy invaded Ethiopia and the League failed to impose effective sanctions.

Stresa Pact

An agreement between Britain, France, and Italy against German rearmament that made Britain and France hesitant to punish Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia.

Hoare-Laval Pact

A secret plan by Britain and France to give most of Abyssinia to Italy, which caused outrage for betraying collective security.