To what extent was the League of Nations a success?

Aims of League of Nations

Aims of League of Nations

• discourage agression from countries

• to encourage countries ro cooperate

• encourage nations to disarm

• improve living and working conditions of people

Article 10

• Most important of 26 articles which all members followed

• Collective security(members should prevent war by defending lands and interests of all nations)

Membership of League

• Britain + France most powerful members

• Japan and Italy permanent members of council

• Brotain and france had role of running the league but they were poorly suited because they weak after ww1

• USA did not join so lack of resources

Sections of League

1. the council

2. the assembly

3. secreteriat

4. permanent court of international justice

5. international labour organization

6. league of nations commissions

The Council

• Smaller group than assembly

• Met 5 times a year and in case of emergency

• Included permanent and temporary members

• All permanent members had a Vito

• Council ised to solve disputes between members - sorted out tru discussion

• could also use moral condemnation

• Economic and financial Sanctions

• Military force(barely did that)

The Assembly

• League’s Parlament - Every country sent a representative

• only met once a year

• decisions had to be unanimous(everybody had to agree)

• Could vote on adding new members, Budget and other ideas

The Secreteriat

• Was a Civil service

• kept records of league meetings and made reports

• had specialost sections cpvering different areas

Court of International Justice

• Key role was settling disputes between countries peacefully

• court was based in the Netherlands

• gave legal advice to assembly and Council

• court had no way of making sure the countries followed its rules

International Labour Organization

• Brought together employers, workers and governments once a year

• Aim was to improve conditions of working people

• Collected information abput working conditions and gave suggestions

League of Nations comssions

• refugees committee

• Slavery commission

• Health Committee

• mandates commission

Weaknesses of league structure

• infrequent meetings

• no actual army - difficult to enforce decisions

• uneven balance of power

• unanimous voting in assembly

Initial weaknesses

• defeated powers were nit invited to join the league

• Ussr was not a member -powerful

• Usa not member

• Powers never agreed on anything

• idealistic principles that were impossible

Usa not joining league

• Didnt want to get involved in europe problem

• didnt want to do sanctions

• american ppl didnt want to fight in other wars

• didnt wanna pay

Vilna 1920

• Poland invades Vilna

• League tells poland to pull out but it doesn’t

• France and britaim were unwilling to act

• Failure for league of Nations

Aaland islands 1920-21

• Dispute between sweden and finland about ownership of islands

• sweden accepted the leagues ruling without resistance

• success for league of nations

Corfu 1923

• Mussolini invades corfu after italian general gets killed

• League condemns him but mussolini rejects

• France unwilling to act

• League couldnt enforce ruling against more powerful states

• failure for LoN

Bulgaria 1925

• Greece invades Bulgaria

• League rules unfair and forces greece pay compensation

• they accept so success for LoN

• However also failure because League showed there were different rules for big and small countries

Humanitarian work LoN

• Reduced Child Labor

• Saved prisoners of war

• Helped displaced people

• Freed slaves

• Funded disease research and vaccines

Result of the depression in the 30’s

• Increased unemployment

• Country re-armed to give people jobs

• countries too involved in their own problems so league didnt work

• Japan decided to take over weak countries for all raw materials

• Germany elected Hitler

• Italy - Mussolini attempted to build empire(Abyssinia)

Manchurian Crisis 1931-34

• Chinese troops attacked japanese railway -excuse

• China appealed to LoN

• LoN started making report

• A year later showed that manchuria should be given back to china

• Japan resigned from LoN in reaponse and argued it was self defence

• League was powerless without Usa, so was unable to do anything

• League shown as powerless and weak

Disarmament conference

• After Manchuria pressure increased about arming problem

• 3rd feb 1932

• question asked if everyone should disarm like Germany

German Disarmament

• At conference countries didn't about equality with germans and germans walked out

• Agreement was reached to treat germany equally and they rejoined the conference

• Hitler began to secretly re-arm germany

• Hitler withdrew from disarmament conference

Disarmament failure

• doomed from the start -no one was serious

• Britain and France had devided opinions

• Every country was looking after itself and ignoring the league

Invasion of Abyssinia 1934

• Mussolini uses previous incident between Italian soldiers as excuse to invade

• British and French singed Stressa pact - Italy stands up against Hitlee in return for Ignoring abyssinia crysis

• two months after invasion league puts economical sanctions on Italy

Hoare-laval pact

• Pact to call of invasion and give Mussolini 2/3 of abyssinia

• Details of secret pact was leaked to the press and gave league a bad impression

• people who made pact fired after going against league