Book 1

Question 1

What Was the L of N?

Answer 1

A world Parliament: representatives of all nations meet regularly to make decisions and discuss a wide-range of international problems - favoured by Woodrow Wilson

An organisation with its own army to enforce the peace settlement - savoured by France

A simple Organisation that only meets in emergencies-favoured by Britain

Question 2

Aims of the League of Nations?

Answer 2

Discourage Aggression

Encourage Cooperation

Encourage Disarmament

Improve people’s living and working conditions

Question 3

How did the LofN work?

Answer 3

If a country had a dispute with another, they bring it to the league

• Promised to accept the League’s decision
• Protect each other if attacked
• If a member breaks the Covenant, other countries: Morally Condemn them
  Stop Trading them
  Send troops if necessary

Question 4

Problems with the LofN’s strucutre?

Answer 4

If two members start attacking each other what will the rest of the members do

Collective meetings were slow and infrequent

Some Nations may not want to join

Some nations might be too powerful

Small nations might be undermined

Why is there an army when we are trying to achieve peace

Unrealistic (Countries won’t disarm)

Major Powers are very weak (Very reliant on the US)

Question 5

Objections in the USA to Joining the League?

Answer 5

The League was supposed to enforce the T.of.V, but some Americans, particularly those who had German ancestors, hated the treaty

Some feared that joining the league meant sending US soldiers to fight and die in endless conflicts around the wrold- no one wanted more death after WW1

If the League imposed economic sanctions, like stopping trade with an agrresssive nation, American trade and business might suffer

Some feared that Britain and France would dominate the League, so that it would end up defending their empires.

Question 6

Wilson’s defeat?

Answer 6

Wilson’s political opponents thought that the issue of joining the League presented a good opportunity to defeat him

(Henry Cabot Lodge)

Question 7

Key Non-members?

Answer 7

USA

Germany

Soviet Union

Question 8

Key Members of the L of N?

Answer 8

Britain and France –> Self Interest, protect their empire, avoid war, economically and militarily weak

Italy –> Embarassed and Humiliated and lack of gains from Versailles

Japan –> Ignored; the leave

Question 9

How Many Countries were part of the LofN by 1919 –> 1930?

Answer 9

42 countries –> 59

Question 10

Functions of the Structure of the League
Frequency of the Meetings
Unanimity

Answer 10

The assembly could recommend action the councila nd could vote on admitting new members to the league

Appointing temporary members of the council

Other ideas put forward by the council

The Assembly meet once a year

Decisions made by the Assembly had to be unanimous - they hd to be agreed by all members of the assembly.

This creates a problem because even if a small nation on its own voted against something it could not be carried out

Question 11

Why was it important that the LofN was able to solve disputes?

Answer 11

Keeps peace –> Multiple border disputes because countries ‘deserved’ territory and also will of the people to part of their country of birth

Maintains authority

Question 12

How did the LofN solve border disputes?

Answer 12

The LofN has some succeses with disputes of smaller nations

Less effective when confronted by larger powers

Already the members of the council after their own interests

Question 13

What impact did the Great Depression have on the LofN’s?

Answer 13

Countries increase trade tarrifs to protect their industry on trade –> Trade decreases –> Profits overeduced –> High Unemployment –> Industry Collapses –> LofN’s less powerful because countries are not willing to impose economic sanctions

Question 14

Successes of the League of Nations? (Border Disputes)

Answer 14

Aaland Islands 1921, concerned by the rival claims of Sweden and Finland to the Aaland Islands.

Most of the Islanders wanted to be Swedish. Awarded it to Finland but with safeguards for the islanders including demillitarisation

Upper Silesia 1921 - Valuable industrial area on the border of Germany and Poland. Germans wanted plebiscite although awarded to Poland. Upper Silesia was split with East going to Poland and West to Germany

Mosul, 1924 - In 1924 Turkey claimed the Kurdish-populated province of Mosul which was part of the British Mandated territory of Iraq

Question 15

Successes of the League of Nations (Dealing with Humanitarian issues)?

Answer 15

Refugee Organisation - helped face the problem of former World War One prisoners-of-war stranded principally in Soviet Russia

Nansen helped 435k displaced Greeks to find new homes or back to their old homes

Helped Soviet Russia prevent typhus epidemic in Siberia by organising a public education programme on health and sanitation

Made vaccines for tuberculosis, tetanus and diphtheria

Economic - Monetary/Fiscal type policies as well as loans to countries like Austria

Question 16

Failures of the League of Nations?

Answer 16

Article 8 said that all countries had to disarm yet by the end of the 1920’s only the defeated powers disarmed

Vilna became Capital of Lithuania but majority of population was Polish.

A Polish army seized it.

Lithuania appealed but Poland refused. (Awarded to Poland)

Occupation of the Ruhr (Passive Resistance)

Corfu and Manchuria

Question 17

Agreements of the LofN?

Answer 17

Geneva Protocol (1924)–> League members were required to agree to the compulsory arbitration of disputes by the Permanent Court of International Justice.

Locarno Pact –> (1925) For the first time since 1918 Germany was treated on a par with the other European powers. The treaties provided frontiers of North-Eastern Europe and confirmed the demilitarised status of the Rhineland

Kellog-Briand Pact (1927) –> Pact between Ameria and France to renounce war

65 countries had signed by 1928

Question 18

Manchurian Crisis

Answer 18

Japan is covered by mountains leaving little farming

Depended on China for food imports

Depression hit China badly

Japan believed Manchuria to be a solution as Manchuria had a lot of Mineral wealth etc;

On September 1931 Chinese troops allegedly attacked the South Manchurian Railway.

China appealed

Lytton Commision were sent to assess

Conclusion: (1 year later) Japan should give back Manchuria

But they refused and said that they may invade more of China for Self-defence

Question 19

Consequences of the Manchurian Crisis?

Answer 19

Discussed Economic Sanctions

No one wanted to reduce trade, especially during a depression.

Britain and France took possesed colonies in the region (Hk and Singapore)

They Talked about banning arm sales

Only the USA and the USSR had the resources to remove Japan from Manchuria

Question 20

Why Manchuria?

Answer 20

Self Defense

Geography-Borders Korea which Japan Controlled

Rich in minerals

Political Reasons - to stop economic crisis

Question 21

When was the World Disarmament Conference and what was discussed?

Answer 21

Feb 1932 in Geneva with 54 countries attending

Resolutions had been adopted to prohibit bombing of civilian populations, limit the size of artillery, limit the tonnage of tanks and prohibit chemical warfare

Question 22

Why was Hitler a huge reason for the failure of the Disarmament Conference?

Answer 22

In may 1933, Hitler promised to not rearm Germany, if in 5 years, all other nations destroyed their weapons

He knew they wouldn’t accept this so it gave him an excuse to not disarm.

He claimed that France was not serious about disarmament

Question 23

Why were France, Poland and Czechoslovakia to blame for the failure of Disaramament?

Answer 23

France, Poland and Czechoslovakia were most responsible for the failure of disarmament as they were the ones who were not willing to disarm as they were worried about future security. This in turn forced Germany to not Disarm

(Although the USA and Britain offered support)

Question 24

Consequences for the failure of Disarmament?

Answer 24

IN 1935 Hitler announced that he had been breaking the T.of.V by rearming

Britain and Germany agreed that Germany would be allowed to build up their navy in 1935 as long as it was 35% smaller than the British navy. (Ignored the league and very selfish)
Loses trust with France

Question 25

Why was Abyssinia Invaded?

Answer 25

Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 as head of the Facist Party.

Wanted Glory and Conquest (Like Roman Empire)

Wanted revenge from 1896 where Italy tried to Invade Abyssinia

Wanted to gain popularity

Abyssinia had fertile lands and mineral wealth

Question 26

What happened in the Abyssinian Crisis?

Answer 26

Border Dispute In December 1934 at the Wal-Wal Oasis

Musso claimed it was his terr and deman an apology

Jan-Oct 1935 Mussolini negotiating with the L. to settle the dispute, but he was also shipping his army to Africa

Brits and Frenchies didn’t take this seriously

Wanted to maintian gud rel w Mussolini

Signed Stresa Pact, a formal statement against Ger rearmament and a commitment to stand united against Germany

Mussolini thought he he was allowed to invade Abyssinia as a part of the Stresa Pact

There was a public Outcry against Italy’s behavior

Ialy invaded Abyssinia with 250k men with the LofN avoiding to stop them

Question 27

Consequences of the Abyssinian Crisis?

Answer 27

Italy’s actions were condemned

Sanctions would only work if they were imposed quickly and decisively

League banned arm sales to Ita, banned loans to Italy and banned the export of rubber, tin and metals to Italy

Question 28

Why was there a 2 month delay to Ban Oil exports to Italy?

Answer 28

League feared the Americans would not support the sanctions

Members also worried about damaging their own economic interests - 30 k coal miners would lose their jobs

Question 29

How did the Abyssinian Crisis damage the L of N?

Answer 29

Britain and France were secretly dealing with Italy to plan and give him 2/3’s of Abyssinia in exchange to stop the attack

People felt they betrayed the League and started to protest