League of Nations (1920-1946)

what were the main aims of the Lon? (WASP)

world peace, abolish war, solve international problems, punish aggressive nations

why was the league’s structure a weakness? (2 points)

assembly met only once a year: slow decision making

council needed unanimous decisions: one country could block action

no army: had to rely on members

britain&france dominated: self interest, inconsistent leadership

no usa: less effective economic sanctions (abyssinian crisis), undermined authority & credibility

why did the usa not join the league?

us senate rejected membership (fear of war, economic cost, recovering from ww1)

why were britain and france poor leaders of the league?

both weakened after ww1

often disagreed

focused on own interests

reluctant to use military force

successes of the league? (2 points)

• Aaland Islands (1921) – settled dispute peacefully between Sweden & Finland.

• Upper Silesia (1921) – successful supervised plebiscite.

• Bulgaria (1925) – forced Greece to withdraw; stopped conflict.

• Humanitarian work – refugees, drug control, malaria, working conditions.

• Economic support – rebuilt Austria & Hungary’s economy.

why was the league more successful in the 1920s?

• Nations were exhausted after WW1 → desire for peace.

• No major powers were aggressively expansionist yet.

• Stability from agreements like Locarno & Kellogg–Briand Pact.

failures of the league? (2 points)

• Mussolini ignored the League.

• League sided with Italy due to pressure from Britain & France.

• Showed League would appease strong nations.

• Japan left the league

• Structural weaknesses – no army, slow decisions.

• Membership problems – USA absent; Germany & USSR late; Japan & Italy left.

• Self-interest of Britain + France – unwilling to act.

• Great Depression – nations turned selfish; dictators rose.

• Disarmament failure – allowed militarisation.

• Major crises – Manchuria & Abyssinia proved inability to enforce rules

to what extent was the league doomed from the start?

• Yes: weak structure, missing USA, selfish leaders, unrealistic aims.

• No: successes in 1920s, strong humanitarian work, genuine desire for peace.

• However: long-term flaws + global events meant failure was likely.

how far were the failures of the league responsible for ww1?

• Allowed aggression (Japan, Italy, Germany) to grow.

• Failed disarmament encouraged militarisation.

• Loss of faith pushed nations towards alliances + appeasement.
  BUT

• Treaty of Versailles, Depression, Hitler’s aims, and appeasement were also key factors.

why was disarmament the league’s biggest failure?

• Britain and France refused to disarm without Germany.

• Germany walked out of 1932 Disarmament Conference.

• Sent message that aggression was tolerated.

why was the abyssinian crisis more damaging than the manchurian?

• Happened in Europe’s “backyard”.

• Showed League members themselves undermined it.

• Italy openly defied the League.

• Led to collapse of collective security.

what happened in manchuria?

• Japan’s economy collapsed after the Great Depression → needed raw materials.

• Japanese army staged the Mukden Incident. (blew up railway)

• Invaded and set up puppet state Manchukuo.

• League took a year to report → blamed Japan.

• Japan simply left the League.

why was the league’s response weak in manchuria?

• Too far away; lack of military power.

• Sanctions useless without the USA.

• Britain & France wanted to keep Japan as a trade partner.

• Set a precedent: aggression goes unpunished.

• Slow reaction time: Lytton report took a year

why was manchuria a turning point?

• Showed dictators that the League lacked force.

• Encouraged Mussolini & Hitler.

• Major blow to collective security.

what happened in abyssinia?

• Mussolini wanted empire + revenge for 1896 failure.

• Used a border clash as an excuse.

• Invaded using chemical weapons.

• League imposed weak sanctions (no oil, no Suez Canal closure).

• Hoare–Laval Pact secretly planned to give Italy 2/3 of Abyssinia.

• Italy conquered Abyssinia; League humiliated.

why did the league fail in abyssinia?

• Britain & France wanted Italy as ally against Hitler.

• Sanctions were incomplete.

• No military action.

• Hoare–Laval Pact destroyed credibility.

what is one possible sanction the league could give?

issue a warning, economic sanctions, military sanctions

name one dispute which the league handled well in the 1920s

upper silesia, aaland islands

name a dispute the league handled poorly in the 1920s

vilna, corfu, bulgaria

name an international agreement the league set up in the 1920s

dawes plan, young plan

which service performed day to day administration of the league?

secretariat

which organisation was set up to make judgements on international arguments and give legal advice to the lon?

international court of justice