Chapter 2 League of Nations Flashcards
What main countries were not allowed to join the League, and why?
Germany - Germany was not allowed to join the League until it had proved to have peaceful intentions after WW1.
Soviet Russia – Soviet Russia was prohibited from joining the league, the main reasons being that it was communist and committed to the overthrow of capitalism.
What was the League of Nations assembly and its role?
The Assembly was the main body of the League of Nations, it was the meeting place of all members. Each country which was a member sent someone to represent them at the assembly. The Assembly couldn’t enforce actions, but could recommend them to the Council of the League of Nations. The Assembly met only once a year.
What was the League of Nations secretariat and its role?
The secretariat represented the civil service of the League, and were responsible for all the administrative and financial work, such as: organising conferences, distributing agendas, monitoring budgets, publishing reports, etc.
What is the League supposed to do if one of the members was attacked?
The League committee and any other members are supposed to try to protect the country that is being attacked. According to article 10 of the League the countries must protect one another from external aggression, including through military means.
What was the League of Nations Council and its role?
The Council consisted of 4 permanent Members (UK, France, Japan and Italy) and 4 non-permanent members elected by the assembly. It had most of the power the League possessed, with the authority over anything to do with disputes between countries.
What was the function of the League Special Commissions?
The Special Commissions were set up to look into areas with special interest to the League e.g. slavery, suppressing drugs and minority rights. They had no direct power but could do studies and attract press attention.
What was the function of the Permanent Court of Justice?
The Permanent Court of Justice was panel of trained judges with the authority to decide who was following international law in cases of dispute between countries.
What was the League supposed to do if it one of its member states attacked somebody else?
In the case of aggression by a League member it was to be the target of economic sanctions by the League members.
Why did the US not join the League of nations?
The US didn’t join the League because the Senate voted against Wilson’s plan for it. This was because most Americans did not feel they had done anything useful in WWI and wanted to avoid being dragged into any further wars on behalf of distant countries.
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom Peition
It was a petition signed by over 3 million women, its purpose was to end and prevent war, ensure that women are represented at all levels in the peace-building process, defend the human rights of women, and promote social, economic and political justice.
Impact of the Great Depression on the League
The Great Depression was a time when the global economy went down. Shares crashed and money was greatly lost. This made it hard for the League to maintain peace as some countries, notably Japan, tried to expand and seize new colonies to help their economy. The UK and France by contrast, felt the lack of money made it impossible for them to wage expensive wars.
Japanese role in Manchuria post-Russo Japanese war:
Japan was in control of Manchuria, they controlled the railway there, coal mines, as well as the soybean farms for tofu. Japan had used Manchuria as an essential source for resources during the post-Russo Japanese war. It also saw a considerable number of Japanese colonies and was ruled by Mantetsu, a large railway company.
