2.2.1 Successes of the LoN Flashcards
Give 9 examples of how the League of Nations helped people
- Lead removed from paint which kills people when inhaled
- Improving working conditions
- Stopped slavery in Sierra Leone
- Campaign to kill mosquitoes to stop spread of malaria
- Set up shipping lanes in sea
- Set up refugee camps and people camps
- Helped to get prisoners of war home
- Solved Aaland Island dispute (Sweden + Finland)
- Upper Silesia (Germany + Poland argue - LON splits Upper Silesia for both countries)
In The Commission for Refugees, what was the League’s aim?
To help people who had lost their homes because of war, by improving refugee camps, helping them to return home, or finding new homes
In The Commission for Refugees, what positive impact did the League have? (2)
- Successful in countries such as Russia and Greece when people fled their homes because of conflict within their own country
- Helped free around 427,000 of the 500,000 prisoners of war still imprisoned after the First World War
In the Health Committee or Organisation, what was the League’s aim?
To cure diseases
In the Health Committee, what positive impact did the League have? (3)
- Successful because it helped to cure disease internationally, e.g. malaria
- Educated people across the world in how to prevent disease spreading and how to be hygienic, e.g. washing your hands
- Sent doctors to help in Turkish refugee camps
In the Slavery Commission, what was the League’s aim?
To end slavery
In the Slavery Commission, what positive impact did the League have?
During the 1920s, the League set free 200,000 slaves from Sierra Leone
In the International Labour Organisation (ILO), what was the League’s aim?
To improve working conditions
In the International Labour Organisation, how did the League have a positive impact? (2)
- One major success was getting 77 countries to introduce a minimum standard of wages in their country
- In the 1920s, death rate of workers on Tanganyika railway reduced from 50% to 4%
Which 2 countries was the Commission for Refugees successful in?
Russia and Greece
In the Economic and Financial Committee, what was the League’s aim?
To improve living conditions
In the Economic and Financial Committee, what did the League do?
Sent financial advisers to Austria and Hungary to rebuild their economies when they went bankrupt in 1921
In the Organisation for Communications and Transport, what was the League’s aim?
To improve how countries worked together
In the Organisation for Communications and Transport, what did the League do?
Introduced shipping lanes and an international highway code
In the Permanent Central Opium Board (became Permanent Central Narcotics Board after 1925), what was the League’s aim?
To tackle the trade of illegal drugs
In the Permanent Central Opium Board, what did the League do?
Black listed four large companies involved in trading drugs illegally
Who did the Locarno Treaties involve? (2)
France and Germany, represented by their foreign ministers Brian and Stresemann
When were the Locarno Treaties?
1925
Where were the Locarno Treaties?
Locarno, Switzerland
What were the Locarno Treaties? (3)
- The two enemies agreed to work together peacefully. They promised to negotiate with each other as opposed to invading each other
- Germany accepted the Treaty of Versailles
- Other countries like Britain and France also signed and each country agreed not to go to war with each other; if one country broke the treaties the other would support the country that invaded. By sighting this Treaty all member countries promised to respect the borders of their neighbours and to not go to war again.
Why wasn’t the League involved in the Locarno Treaties?
Germany suggested the treaties and it was not part of the League
Why were the Locarno Treaties significant? (3)
- It showed the world that Germany was no longer being held to ransom by being forced to sign ‘diktats’ like they were in the First World War. It seemed as if Germany was accepting the Treaty of Versailles, especially the terms about territory, and trying to become a peaceful nation
- Relationships between countries, especially France and Germany, improved - this paved the way to Germany being allowed to join the League of Nations
- The League should have been leading the way on such an important agreement, especially since it involved two of the League’s powerful members, Britain and France
Who was involved in The Kellogg-Briand Pact?
65 countries, including Germany, France and the USA
When was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
1928
Where was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
Paris, France
What was The Kellogg-Briand Pact?
65 countries signed a treaty promising that they would not use war for their own gain and to solve arguments
Why was the League not involved in The Kellogg-Briand Pact?
Germany and the USA were not members of
Why was The Kellogg-Briand Pact significant?
The fact that the League was not involved made it look like it was a place to talk, not for actual solutions, and this damaged its reputation
How was Germany seen as cooperative?
As with the Locarno Treaty, Germany signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact voluntarily in 1928, which meant that again they were seen as cooperative and trying to make peace with the world
Apart from the Locarno Treaties and the Kellogg-Briand Pact, name 2 examples of other agreements made outside the League
Washington Arms Conference (or the Washington Naval Conference) and Rapallo Treaty
When was the Washington Arms Conference (or the Washington Naval Conference)?
1921-22
What was the Washington Arms Conference?
Major countries like Britain, the USA, Japan and France agreed the maximum size of their navies
Why was the League not involved in the Washington Arms Conference?
The League was not the one pushing for disarmament, and countries like Britain and France attended independently out of the League
When was the Rapallo Treaty?
1922
What was the Rapallo Treaty?
Germany and Russia agreed to work together
Why was the League not involved in the Rapallo Treaty?
The League was not involved as Germany and Russia were not members
What type of sanctions did the League place on countries that refused to co-operate and if they tried to invade other countries?
Economic
How was the League a success for the Aaland Islands?
Sweden and Finland both claimed the Aaland Islands. The League gave the islands to Finland, but forbid the building of forts on them. Both countries accepted the decision
When was the incident of the Aaland Islands?
1921
How was the League a success for Upper Silesia?
A plebiscite was held to decide whether Upper Silesia, which was on the Germany-Poland border, should be German or Polish. Germany won 60% of the vote, but Poland claimed this had been fixed. The League split Upper Silesia into areas according to how they have voted; Germany complained that Poland got most of the industrial areas and Poland complained that they had around half the population, but only one third of the land. However, both countries did (grudgingly) accept the League’s decision, which could be seen as a success.
When was the incident of the Aaland Islands?
1921-55
What is a plebiscite?
A vote
What did the League of Nations do to make sure that the plebiscite taken in Upper Silesia was run fairly?
Sent troops in there
How did the League split Upper Silesia into sections?
The League split it into areas according to how they had voted
- Germany got the rural land
- Poland got the industrial area
In the incident of Upper Silesia, why did both Germany and Poland want the industrial area?
Both countries wanted the industrial area as it was rich in iron, coal and steel production
In the incident of Upper Silesia, why did each of the countries complain?
Although the terms of the partition of Silesia were agreed initially, in the end both Germany and Poland disagreed with it. The Poland claimed they lost half a million of the Polish people to the land that now belonged to Germany and the Germans claimed that they lost too many coal mines
Describe the case of Bulgaria in 1925 and how the League’s actions could be seen as successful
Greece invaded Bulgaria when Greek soldiers were killed on the border. The League forced Greece to withdraw and pay compensation. However, this seemed hypocritical since the League had allowed Mussolini, a much more powerful leader, to get away with something very similar in Corfu. This could be seen as a success as the League forced Greece to withdraw and pay compensation.
How many countries was the International Labour Organisation successful in getting to introduce a minimum standard of wages in their country?
77
