Studied by 5 people
Name the ways the League enforce decisions
Moral condemnations, economic sanctions and military force
What was the main aims of the League?
Decrease aggression
Encourage compensation
Disarm
Improve conditions
Which section of the League comprised of a representative of every member country?
Assembly - it met once a year in Geneva (42 founding members
Which section of the League comprised of a 5 permanent and 4 temporary members?
The council:
Met up to 3 times a year and in times of emergency.
The 5 permanent members were the major powers; Britain, France, Italy, Japan and (from 1926) Germany.
The permanent members could veto any action proposed by the council.
The 4 temporary members were elected for 3 years at a time.
What was the central ideal of the League?
The League was built around the idea of collective security. This meant that all members of the League could prevent war by acting together to protect and defend the interests of nations.
What was The Permanent Court of International Justice?
This was based in the Hague in the Netherlands. It was made up of judges who represented the different legal systems of member counties. The courts 2 main functions were:
to give a decision on a dispute between 2 countries, if asked (dealt with 29 contentious between States)
to give legal advice to the assembly or council (e.g. on treaties) (27 advisory opinions.)
What was the ILO?
The International Labour Organisation. The aim of the ILO was to improve the conditions of working conditions throughout the world. It was made up of employers, governments and worker's representations who met once a year.
it collected statistics and information about working conditions
It improved people's working conditions by helping Greece to set up social security
It resolved that the working week should be no longer than 48 hours
In 1928, 77 countries agreed to set a minimum wage.
The Mandates Commission
This was set up to make sure that if a country controlled a territory under the terms of a League mandate.
It acted in the interests of the people of that territory.
Supervised colonies under mandates of league
Had a team of advisors
WHO
The World Health Organisation attempted to deal with the problem of dangerous diseases, e.g. leprosy
The Secretariat
The secretariat was a sort of civil service which carried out the work and administration of the League. It kept records of League meetings and prepared reports for the different organisations within the League. The secretariat was also divided into many different sections (e.g. health, armaments, economic and financial matters).
What did the League do to help POWs and refugees?
The Refugee Organisation helped to return people to their original homes at the end of the First World War - Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian was particularly helpful here and over half a million POWs were helped
Which two countries were involved in a dispute over the Aaland Islands in 1921?
Sweden and Finland. The Aaland Islands had belonged to Finland but Sweden disputed ownership. Most islanders were Swedish. The L of N said that the islands should remain part of Finland and this was accepted by Sweden - is still in force today
What happened when Germany and Poland wanted Upper Silesia?
March 1921 - The League divided the region according to a plebiscite. 700, 000 voted to join Germany and 500, 000 voted to become part of Poland. The L of N partitioned the area so one-third to Poland and two-thirds to Germany. Both countries accepted this.
What did the League do when Mussolini invaded Corfu and how did he respond?
August 1923 - Some Italian soldiers employed to mark out the border between Albania and Greece were murdered by bandits from Greece. The Italian Leader, Mussolini, demanded 50 million lire in compensation. Greece asked the L of N to investigate but Italy refused to allow this and invaded the Greek island of Corfu. The L of N condemned this but the Conference of Ambassadors ordered Greece to accept Mussolini's demands. Mussolini was ordered to pull out of Corfu but he refused and made Greece pay reparations
Vilna
1920 - This city had once been the capital of Lithuania but most people were Polish. When Lithuania became independent in 1919 it claimed Vilna. A Polish army seized the city. The L of N protested but allowed the Conference of Ambassadors to award the city to Poland.
Memel
1923 - This was a German port on the border with Lithuania. Having seen what happened to Vilna, Lithuania decided to seize Memel. The L of N did not remove them.
Greece and Bulgaria
1925 - During a border dispute some Greek soldiers were killed. Greece invaded Bulgaria. The L of N ordered Greece to withdraw and pay £45k compensation and it agreed.
What policy did the USA follow in not joining the League?
Isolationism
1921 - 22 Washington Conference
Between November 1921 and February 1922 the USA organised a conference to discuss naval disarmament and tension in the Pacific and the Far East. Two treaties were signed that limited navies.
1922 Rapallo Treaty
Aim: Co-operation between Germany and Russia. They agreed to establish friendly relations, to denounce reparations, to co-operate economically, on secret military co-operation. Germany was able to build planes, tanks and develop gas and train personnel
1925 Locarno Pact
The aim was to make Europe a safer place. This was signed in many countries including Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Italy. Many believed the spirit of Locarno promised an end to the feelings of resentment and bitterness and meant a period of peace. The most important terms were Germany, France and Belgium agreed that their borders were final. Britain and Italy guaranteed this. The Rhineland was to remain demilitarised. France promised to protect Poland and Czechoslovakia if she were attacked by Germany and Germany was to join the L of N.
1928 Kellogg Briand Pact
The aim was to renounce the use of warfare. It was signed by over 40 nations who agreed not to use warfare to settle disputes. It was a show of goodwill but there was no way of enforcing it. All of the above were only of any value so long as the countries that signed them kept their word. It was easy for countries to say that they wanted peace and co-operation and would not go to war. But if they had aggressive aims then warfare was a useful means of achieving them.
What were the problems with Britain and France being in charge of the League?
Both countries had suffered terribly during the war. Their economies and armed forces were badly weakened.
This meant that they were usually unwilling to intervene in conflicts when this might cost them money or men.
After the horror of 1914-18, the French and British public were very much against conflict. This meant their governments were unwilling to go to war, even to protect long-term peace.
In addition, Britain and France did not always agree.
The League had to uphold the Peace Treaties but how did this come to weaken it?
The problem was that as time went on, the treaties came under more and more criticism. Many people began to think that they were too harsh.
This meant that it was hard for the League to present a united front against countries who sought to challenge the treaties.
How did the Depression affect the League?
There was less international co-operation, Britain and France no longer wanted to sort out disputes that would cost them money and affect their trade and economic hardship meant that some countries turned to fascist, militaristic governments
What was the social and economic impact of the Depression?
The volume of international trade fell, tariffs were imposed and there was huge unemployment and hardship
