Book 1 Flashcards
What Was the L of N?
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
Aims of the League of Nations?
Discourage Aggression
Encourage Cooperation
Encourage Disarmament
Improve people’s living and working conditions
How did the LofN work?
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
Problems with the LofN’s strucutre?
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)
Objections in the USA to Joining the League?
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.
Wilson’s defeat?
Wilson’s political opponents thought that the issue of joining the League presented a good opportunity to defeat him
(Henry Cabot Lodge)
Key Non-members?
USA
Germany
Soviet Union
Key Members of the L of N?
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
How Many Countries were part of the LofN by 1919 –> 1930?
42 countries –> 59
Functions of the Structure of the League
Frequency of the Meetings
Unanimity
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
Why was it important that the LofN was able to solve disputes?
Keeps peace –> Multiple border disputes because countries ‘deserved’ territory and also will of the people to part of their country of birth
Maintains authority
How did the LofN solve border disputes?
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
What impact did the Great Depression have on the LofN’s?
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
Successes of the League of Nations? (Border Disputes)
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
Successes of the League of Nations (Dealing with Humanitarian issues)?
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
Failures of the League of Nations?
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
Agreements of the LofN?
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
Manchurian Crisis
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
Consequences of the Manchurian Crisis?
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
Why Manchuria?
Self Defense
Geography-Borders Korea which Japan Controlled
Rich in minerals
Political Reasons - to stop economic crisis
When was the World Disarmament Conference and what was discussed?
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
Why was Hitler a huge reason for the failure of the Disarmament Conference?
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
Why were France, Poland and Czechoslovakia to blame for the failure of Disaramament?
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)
Consequences for the failure of Disarmament?
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
Why was Abyssinia Invaded?
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
What happened in the Abyssinian Crisis?
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
Consequences of the Abyssinian Crisis?
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
Why was there a 2 month delay to Ban Oil exports to Italy?
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
How did the Abyssinian Crisis damage the L of N?
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
