2. To what extent was the League of Nations a success? Flashcards
What does ACDC stand for?
The aims of the League - discourage Aggression, encourage Cooperation and Disarmament, improve living Conditions.
Example(s) of success for the A in ACDC
Upper Silesian Settlement - Poland and Germany both wanted ownership, plebiscite organized, divided based on votes
Example(s) of failure for the A in ACDC
Lithuania seized control of Memel in 1923 - the area surrounding Memel was given to Lithuania, but insisted that the port itself remain an “international zone” - suggested that they would give in to force.
Also the Manchurian and Abyssinian crises
Overall, did the A in ACDC succeed or fail?
Fail (though it could be considered a gray area)
Example(s) of success for the first C in ACDC
- Simply existed - encouraged leaders to collaborate rather than compete
- Marked out shipping lanes to increase trade
Example(s) of failure for the first C in ACDC
- America came up with the League to encourage cooperation then didn’t join
- During the Corfu incident, Mussolini invaded Corfu & got compensation from Greece - Britain and France couldn’t work together to stop him
- Powerful members looked out for themselves and their empires
Overall, did the first C in ACDC succeed or fail?
Fail
Example(s) of success for the D in ACDC
At the Washington conference (1921), USA, France, Japan, and Britain agreed to limit the size of their navies
Example(s) of failure for the D in ACDC
- Germany was the only one to disarm (a lot) and only did so because it was forced to
- No other country was prepared to give up their armies or be the first to disarm
Overall, did the D in ACDC succeed or fail?
Fail - no one disarmed (except Germany but then they rearmed)
Example(s) of success for the second C in ACDC
- Repatriated 400,000 prisoners of WW1
- Banned poisonous white lead from paint
- Capped children’s (and other people’s) working hours
- Worked to defeat leprosy, exterminate mosquitoes, and prevent plague
- Worked against drug trafficking, slavery, and prostitution
- Marked shipping lanes
Example(s) of failure for the second C in ACDC
Not all countries adopted the positive changes
Overall, did the second C in ACDC succeed or fail?
Succeeded - living conditions did improve
Why did the US refuse to join the League? (eating children tastes slimy stroke)
Empire, Casualties, Treaty, Sanctions, Wilson had a stroke and the new president wanted isolationism
What does eating in eating children tastes slimy stand for?
Empire - America didn’t want to be part of Britain/France’s empire (again) or anything like that
What does children in eating children tastes slimy stand for?
Casualties - Too many casualties in WW1 (116000+ Americans) - the US didn’t want to send their soldiers to every little conflict on earth, which would result in more
What does tastes in eating children tastes slimy stand for?
Treaty - America didn’t want to support the Treaty of Versailles
What does slimy in eating children tastes slimy stand for?
Sanctions - America believed that sanctions would make them suffer more than anyone
What does stroke in eating children tastes slimy stroke stand for?
Woodrow Wilson had a stroke and died, and the new president wanted a policy of isolationism
What was Article 10 of the the covenant and what did it mean?
Collective security - key principle of the LON that all members would be safe because the other members would defend them from attack
What was isolationism?
Don’t get involved in international alliances, follow own policies and self interests - it’s what America did which stopped them from joining the League
Why was it bad that the US didn’t join?
Britain and France were the most powerful members of the League because the US wasn’t there
- Bad message - US came up with it then didn’t join
- Britain and France weren’t as powerful as they used to be - insufficient resources
- Trade sanctions only work if US is on board
Britain priorities in the League
Rebuild British empire and trade rather than policing world justice
France priorities in the League
Protect France against Germany even if it means bypassing the league
The Council’s purpose in the LON
Main body
- met 5x per year
- 4 permanent members
- Temporary members elected once every 3 years
- Each perma member had 1 veto
- Resolved problems by talking and using a range of powers
What could the Council do to solve disputes if talking them through didn’t work?
Moral condemnation - tell the aggressor to stop it
Economic and financial sanctions - no trading with aggressor
Military force - persuade member countries to use their armed forces to go up against aggressor
Appoint a commission to check out the situation
Plebescite
In 1920, who were the permanent members of the League of Nations?
Italy, Japan, Britain, France
How many countries were at the first League of Nations meeting?
42, not including USA, USSR, and Germany
What was the Assembly’s purpose in the League of Nations?
- Had a representative from every country
- Met once a year
- Recommended action to Council
- Decided whether to admit new members to the League
- Decisions had to be unanimous
What was the Permanent court of International Justice’s role in the LON?
- Based in Hague in the Netherlands
- Made up of judges
- Settled disputes and border disputes
- Couldn’t enforce ruling
What was the Secretariat’s role in the League of Nations?
- Civil service to all bodies in League
- Kept records and prepared reports
- brought together experts from around the world to discuss key issues
What does the ILO stand for?
International Labour organisation
What was the ILO’s role in the League?
- Brought together employers, governments, and workers’ representatives
- Aim was to improve working conditions worldwide
- Persuaded member countries to adopt suggestions