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by who and when was the League made
Woodrow Wilson (nobel peace prize in 1920), 1919
first meeting of LoN
16 January 1920, Geneva
Covenant
set out aims of Lon + how it was to be run
set up Mandates Commission to deal with colonies
create the PICJ (permanent international court of justice) to help settle disputes + advise on issues of international law
aims
no DISPUTES
disarmament
improvements (⬆ living conditions)
sanctions
protection (of each state + respect for boundaries)
unanimous
together
encourage discussion (arbitrate)
support
membership
42 members at the start
US not part
4 permanents: Britain, France, Italy, Japan + Germany (1926) + USSR (1934)
council
members: 4 (later 5) permanent + 4 non permanent (rotating)
met 4 times a year
decisions making
sanctions
create committees
unanimous
assembly
all member states
met once a year
make recommendations on many issues (economic, social, disarmament, peacekeeping)
main authority
discuss and debate
unanimous
elect rotating members of the council and judges for PICJ
advise the council
secretariat
day to day procedures (agenda for the assembly, reports, routine matters)
led by Secretary General
civil workers, independent of nations
PICJ
Permanent International Court of Justice
15 judges
advise council
in the Hague
ILO
International Labour Organisation
autonomous part of LoN
improve working conditions
negotiate wages and working hours
protection of children and women in the workplace
prevention of accidents
punishments enforced
sanctions
ban on trade
use of war
Strengths
purpose
good aims
complex structure
PICJ — avoid bias
Weaknesses
change of membership (many left)
US didn’t join
permanent = victors club
unanimity (otherwise no motion)
lack of force = “no teeth”
Aaland Islands: when, where, why
1920
Finland and Sweden
Finnish after Russian revolution (1917), 95% Swedish, campaigns for union with Sweden (may 1920 —> some autonomy; june 1920 —> 2 charged with high treason)
Aaland Islands: LoN response
remains Finnish
Swedish language + customs
government — agreed by islanders
demilitarised
Upper Silesia: when, where, why
1921
border between Poland and Germany
resource rich (coal + industrial)
Germany’s until end of WW1
ToV: plebiscite will decide whose
March 1921: 54% G (P workers allegedly forced to vote for G) —> May 1921 uprising —> Aug 1921 LoN
Upper Silesia: LoN response
2/3 — to Germany
1/3 — to Poland, more resourceful land
German-Polish cooperation commission
BUT
Germany was weak —> LoN had influence
Corfu: when, where, why
1923
Greece and Italy
5 Italians murdered on Greek soil (allegedly) —> Mussolini blamed Greece —> attacked Corfu
Greece appeal to LoN
Corfu: LoN response
Italy — withdraws; no apology to Greece
Greece — pay 50 mil lire (compensation, w/out evidence of murder)
Greek-Bulgarian war: when, where, why
1925
border (re-drawing boundaries after WW1)
19 October 1925: 2 deaths of Greek border guards —> Greece orders an invasion (thought Bulgaria will attack first)
Greek-Bulgarian war: LoN response
condemns Greece
asks both to stop military activities + withdraw
after 60 hours: conflict over
Greece: pays 3 mil Bulgarian levs as compensation (for taken crops and kettle)
Manchurian Crisis: when, where, what
1931-33
Manchuria — border between Japan and China
Sep 1931 — explosion on South Manchuria Railway —> Japan invades “need to restore order” — take over Mukden
China appealed to LoN
Japan take over administrative capital of Manchuria — Chinchow
Jan 1932 — Japan take Shanghai
China appealed to LoNn (again)
Manchurian Crisis: why did Japan invade?
Japanese:
disillusioned by Great Depression
damage to silk exports —> industrial activity ⬇ by 30%
not resource rich
standart of living ⬇
China:
politically weak
raw materials
Manchuria:
farming
coal + iron
Japan controlled land around it
Manchurian Crisis: LoN response
Sep 1931 — Lytton commission
Sep 1932 — reported: “Manchuria doesn’t want to be governed by Japan” + advised “Manchuria should be autonomous Chinese state + Japan should withdraw (land like in 1905")”
Feb 1933 — assembly voted in favour: 42 : 1 (japan)
Mar 1933 — Japan left LoN, still in control of Manchuria
1937 — full scale invasion of China —> military dictatorship
Manchurian Crisis: failure
Japan permanent member
UK interested in siding with Japan (trade)
great powers — dominant interests
aggressors — not deterred by words
no collective security — against Covenant
too long procedurally —> outdated info
veto
precedent for Hitler in 1930s
Manchurian Crisis: failure
LoV reputation damaged
guided by country’s status
precedent for Hitler in 1930s
Abyssinian Crisis: when, where, why
1935-36
Abyssinia — North-East Africa
Italy wanted to expand into Abyssinia (plans by Mussolini since 1932)
Dec 1934 — Wal Wal incident: 30 Italians + 90 Abyssinians die
Italy want compensation —> Abyssinia appeals to LoN
Italy preps for war
Mar 1935 — Abyssinia appeals to LoN (again)
Oct 1935 — Italians invade Abyssinia
use chemical weapons
May 1936 — capital falls to Italians
sanctions withdrawn
Abyssinian Crisis: LoN response
sanctions against Italy
prevent sales of arms to Italy
limit credit to Italian government and firms
embargo on sales of oil to Italy (Britain not keen, scared that Italy would want to go to war)
Refugee Commission: why
1+ mil POWs to be repatriated
1+ mil from Russian Revolution and civil war
local disputes: Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Jews
Refugee Commission: LoN response
funds, shipping, resources (homes, farming), population exchanges, new settlements, work with ILO
Fridtjof Nansen — High Commissioner for Refugees
identity documents “Nansen passports”
Refugee Commission: success
“Nansen passports” — accepted by 50 governments by 1929
local economies boosted
Refugee Commission: limitations
temporary
only in Europe + Middle East
Drug Commission: why
drugs: grown, made, traded, used illegally
opium + coca plant —> heroine, cocaine, morphine, codeine
Drug Commission: LoN response
1920 — Opium Advisory Committee
Dr Rachel Crowdy dealed with drugs in LoN by:
limit…
control…
gathering information about…
monitoring…
… legal production, manufacturing and trade
finding economic alternatives for opium growing regions
embargo on trade in drugs with countries no following the agreements
Drug Commission: success
many countries (even those not in LoN) cooperated
in US: 50%⬇ addicts in 1930s
data collected —> map legal and illegal use/buying
1935: legal production = demand for scientific/medical reasons
Drug Commission: limitations
drug companies moved to uncontrolled countries
hard to control illegal production
less and less cooperating countries (e.g Germany, Japan, Italy…)
disarmament
1924 — Geneva protocol — disarmament + abanodoned war
World Disarmament Conference: when, who, why
1932-34
US, USSR, other non-LoN members
a lot changed:
Sep 1931 — Japan attacks Manchuria
Jan 1933 — Hitler becomes Chancellor
Mar 1933 — Japan left LoN
Oct 1933 — Germany left LoN
World Disarmament Conference: views
France: independent police force + LoN control most powerful weapons
Germany: equality with states who haven’t their military cut
Britain: get rid off offensives
USSR: get rid off all weapons (because of their industrial backwardness)
health, why?
prevent spread of diseases
improve access to healthcare
health campaigns
spread info about disease
spread medication
Health Committee
1923
mandates, why?
monitor
govern
mandates, what did
divide colonies into 3 types, depending on the readiness for independence
slavery conference
1921, agreed to tackle people trafficking in women and children
slavery convention
1926
defined slavery
propose to outlaw
transport of slaves at sea = piracy
ratified by 30+ countries
only those against slavery can join LoN
investigation of slavery
Liberia, Abyssinia, Somalia, Red Sea area, Jordan
investigation of trafficking
1924-26: Europe, Mediterranean region and US
1929: Near, Middle, Far East
trafficking
children and women
prostitution: target traffickers, not prostitutes
Child Welfare Committee
investigated juvenile crime
right for illegitimate kids
precedent for UNICEF