2.2.1 Successes of the LoN

Question 1

Give 9 examples of how the League of Nations helped people

Answer 1

• 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)

Question 2

In The Commission for Refugees, what was the League’s aim?

Answer 2

To help people who had lost their homes because of war, by improving refugee camps, helping them to return home, or finding new homes

Question 3

In The Commission for Refugees, what positive impact did the League have? (2)

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

In the Health Committee or Organisation, what was the League’s aim?

Answer 4

To cure diseases

Question 5

In the Health Committee, what positive impact did the League have? (3)

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

In the Slavery Commission, what was the League’s aim?

Answer 6

To end slavery

Question 7

In the Slavery Commission, what positive impact did the League have?

Answer 7

During the 1920s, the League set free 200,000 slaves from Sierra Leone

Question 8

In the International Labour Organisation (ILO), what was the League’s aim?

Answer 8

To improve working conditions

Question 9

In the International Labour Organisation, how did the League have a positive impact? (2)

Answer 9

• 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%

Question 10

Which 2 countries was the Commission for Refugees successful in?

Answer 10

Russia and Greece

Question 11

In the Economic and Financial Committee, what was the League’s aim?

Answer 11

To improve living conditions

Question 12

In the Economic and Financial Committee, what did the League do?

Answer 12

Sent financial advisers to Austria and Hungary to rebuild their economies when they went bankrupt in 1921

Question 13

In the Organisation for Communications and Transport, what was the League’s aim?

Answer 13

To improve how countries worked together

Question 14

In the Organisation for Communications and Transport, what did the League do?

Answer 14

Introduced shipping lanes and an international highway code

Question 15

In the Permanent Central Opium Board (became Permanent Central Narcotics Board after 1925), what was the League’s aim?

Answer 15

To tackle the trade of illegal drugs

Question 16

In the Permanent Central Opium Board, what did the League do?

Answer 16

Black listed four large companies involved in trading drugs illegally

Question 17

Who did the Locarno Treaties involve? (2)

Answer 17

France and Germany, represented by their foreign ministers Brian and Stresemann

Question 18

When were the Locarno Treaties?

Answer 18

1925

Question 19

Where were the Locarno Treaties?

Answer 19

Locarno, Switzerland

Question 20

What were the Locarno Treaties? (3)

Answer 20

• 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.

Question 21

Why wasn’t the League involved in the Locarno Treaties?

Answer 21

Germany suggested the treaties and it was not part of the League

Question 22

Why were the Locarno Treaties significant? (3)

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

Who was involved in The Kellogg-Briand Pact?

Answer 23

65 countries, including Germany, France and the USA

Question 24

When was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?

Answer 24

1928

Question 25

Where was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?

Answer 25

Paris, France

Question 26

What was The Kellogg-Briand Pact?

Answer 26

65 countries signed a treaty promising that they would not use war for their own gain and to solve arguments

Question 27

Why was the League not involved in The Kellogg-Briand Pact?

Answer 27

Germany and the USA were not members of

Question 28

Why was The Kellogg-Briand Pact significant?

Answer 28

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

Question 29

How was Germany seen as cooperative?

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Apart from the Locarno Treaties and the Kellogg-Briand Pact, name 2 examples of other agreements made outside the League

Answer 30

Washington Arms Conference (or the Washington Naval Conference) and Rapallo Treaty

Question 31

When was the Washington Arms Conference (or the Washington Naval Conference)?

Answer 31

1921-22

Question 32

What was the Washington Arms Conference?

Answer 32

Major countries like Britain, the USA, Japan and France agreed the maximum size of their navies

Question 33

Why was the League not involved in the Washington Arms Conference?

Answer 33

The League was not the one pushing for disarmament, and countries like Britain and France attended independently out of the League

Question 34

When was the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 34

1922

Question 35

What was the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 35

Germany and Russia agreed to work together

Question 36

Why was the League not involved in the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 36

The League was not involved as Germany and Russia were not members

Question 37

What type of sanctions did the League place on countries that refused to co-operate and if they tried to invade other countries?

Answer 37

Economic

Question 38

How was the League a success for the Aaland Islands?

Answer 38

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

Question 39

When was the incident of the Aaland Islands?

Answer 39

1921

Question 40

How was the League a success for Upper Silesia?

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

When was the incident of the Aaland Islands?

Answer 41

1921-55

Question 42

What is a plebiscite?

Answer 42

A vote

Question 43

What did the League of Nations do to make sure that the plebiscite taken in Upper Silesia was run fairly?

Answer 43

Sent troops in there

Question 44

How did the League split Upper Silesia into sections?

Answer 44

The League split it into areas according to how they had voted - Germany got the rural land - Poland got the industrial area

Question 45

In the incident of Upper Silesia, why did both Germany and Poland want the industrial area?

Answer 45

Both countries wanted the industrial area as it was rich in iron, coal and steel production

Question 46

In the incident of Upper Silesia, why did each of the countries complain?

Answer 46

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

Question 47

Describe the case of Bulgaria in 1925 and how the League’s actions could be seen as successful

Answer 47

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.

Question 48

How many countries was the International Labour Organisation successful in getting to introduce a minimum standard of wages in their country?

Answer 48

77