conflict and tension part two Flashcards
how many people were there in the LoN (when created -> 1934)?
- in 1920 there were 42 members
- by 1934 it rose to 58
who were the four permanent members of the council?
- Britain
- Italy
- France
- Japan
what was the LoN?
a group of countries that would work together and solve problems like a world parliament
why was the LoN formed?
countries would work together to achieve four aims:
- to stop war from breaking out again
- to encourage disarmament
- to improve working conditions
- to tackle deadly diseases
where was the league based?
- Geneva Switzerland
- Switzerland had not been involved in the war so it was seen as a peaceful country
- the red cross was also based there (another key international organisation)
who wasn’t allowed to join?
- Russia (B + F suspicious of the commies) - but eventually joined in 1934
- Germany (until 1926 - Locarno treaty) and the other losing nations i think (Austria definitely)
what did Lloyd George issue in March 1919 to show support of the LoN?
the Fontainebleau Memorandum
when did Lloyd George issue the Fontainebleau Memorandum?
25th March 1919
what did Britain think of the LoN?
Britain generally regarded it as a place for countries to discuss ideas but without any real power - though France was glad for anything that might protect it from another German invasion
how did the league keep peace?
- it was thought that the LoN would work through collective security - the idea that if all countries worked together they could make sure that peace was kept and the interests of every nation looked after
- in 1920, the League also set up an international court that would establish international laws called the Permanent Court of International Justice - if every country was following the same laws there would be less chance of them disagreeing
what was the name of the court that was set up by the LoN in 1920?
the Permanent Court of International Justice
what happened if the League couldn’t settle disputes?
the Covenant set out how the LoN would deal with aggression:
- mitigation (getting countries to talk through their problems together)
- moral condemnation
- economic sanctions could be enforced - members of the league wouldn’t trade
what were the group of representatives called in the LoN?
the assembly
how often did the assembly meet?
once a year, on the first Monday of September
why did the assembly meet?
to discuss and vote on matters
did every country have an equal vote in the LoN?
yes
what did the vote need to be for the motion to pass in the LoN?
the vote needed to be unanimous
what would happen to the notions that didn’t get passed because the vote wasn’t unanimous?
it would get referred to the council
what was the structure of the league?
- the assembly
- the council
- the permanent court of international justice
- the secretariat
- special commisions
what was the assembly in charge of?
- deciding when a new country could join
- the election of judges to the permanent court of international justice
- voting for the non-permanent members of the council
- deciding how the league’s money was to be spent
why was there a council as well as the assembly?
the assembly that only met once a year would not be enough to ensure that everything ran smoothly
how many other countries would be chosen to sit on the council (for a 3-year term)?
initially four, but later increased to nine non-permanent members
what power did the council have?
the power of veto - even if the assembly had a unanimous vote
could the Permanent court of international justice enforce compulsory rulings?
no, they could only give advice (so a bit useless)
did the league have an army?
no - so it couldn’t make countries do what they wanted to
who was the court elected by?
the assembly and the council
how long would the judges of the permanent international court of justice have their role as judge?
11 years
what was the secretariat of the LoN?
- the civil service of the leage meaning that it was in charge of administrating and organising any action that the league wanted to take
- it was a body of experts from different areas (like finance) who were responsible for carrying out any decisions made by the League - with the exception of military issues
what were the special commissions?
special groups put together to tackle issues that the league was worried about; they included:
- the international labour organisation (ILO)
- the disarmament commission
- the Health organisation
- the slavery commission
- the commission for refugees
- the permanent central opium board
other commissions helped undeveloped countries with economic issues, supported under-represented or minority groups such as women and supervised the mandates
what were the strengths of the league?
- it was written into all the peace treaties at the end of the first world war so all nations involved had signed an agreement that recognised the organisation
- it had a vast membership
- as there were so many members, economic sanctions and moral condemnations were daunting punishments for many countries
what were the weaknesses of the league of nationa?
- many important countries didn’t join (eg USA), whih undermined the LoN as a ‘global’ organisation so if a country faced economic sanctions it could still trade with some of the most powerful and richest countries
- the league had no army so it couldn’t force anyone to obey them
– the structure was very complicated - it confused people and slowed action - decisions had to be unanimous which meant that decision making was slow
what was the aim of the International Labour Organisation?
to bring workers, employers, and governments together to improve the conditions that people worked in
what were the successes of the International Labour Organisation?
- 1922 - recommended banning the use of white lead in paint
- 1930 - helped greece set up social insurance (to help people if they were unemployed because of an illness)
- 1928-1977 - countries agreed to set a minimum wage
- in Tanganyika, Africa, slave labour was used to built a new railway but the conditions were so bad 50% of the workers died, so the League challenged it and decreased the death rate to 4%
what were the failures of the International Labour Organisation?
- 1919 - tried to stop children under the age of 14 from working - this suggestion was not adopted by many members because they thought it would cost too much money
- 1935 - suggested that the working day should be limited to 8 hours; when members voted on this issue, only four voted in favour of it, saying it would cost industries too much, similarly the suggestion that workers should be paid for their holidays was unpopular - one member said that it would be ‘industrial suicide’
what was the aim of the commission for refugees?
to return prisoners of war home and support refugees by improving camp conditions, finding new homes, or returning them to their own countries once the threat of conflict had passed
what were the successes of the commission for refugees?
- 1921 - the leage helped free around 427,000 of 500,000 prisoners of war still imprisoned from the first world war and returned them to their homelands
- 1917 - revolution led to civil war in Russia, by 1921 1.5 million people had fled to refugee camps and the League helped them find new homes
- in 1922 - turkey clashed with Greece and the violence forced people to flee to refugee camps. the league set up refugee camps and sent doctors to help treat diseases such as cholera and small pox in these camps; homes were found for around 600,000 Greeks fleeing from Turkey between 1919-1923
- created the Nansen passport, a document which could be used as identification by refugees
what was the failure of the commission of refugees?
- 1933 - the league tried to appoint a High Commissioner for refugees, who were mainly Jewish, fleeing from Germany. Germany rejected this proposal, so a unanimous vote could not be reached and the motion was defeated. the commissioner was appointed, but as an independent body separate from the league of nations which meant that they had less power
what was the success of the slavery commission?
- organised raids on the camps of slave traders in Sierra Leone, setting 200,00 people free - in 1927, Sierra Leone announced that slavery was to be abolished all together
what were the successes of the economic and financial committee?
- Austria and Hungary had lost the war and were trying to rebuild their economies; the league sent financial experts to help so that the two countries would not go bankrupt
- developed codes for importing and exporting so all members were following the same rules
what were the failures of the Economic and Financial Committee?
- when the global depression hit after 1929, this commission was unable to cope
what were the aims of the Organisation for Communications and Transport?
regulated transport developed during the war in order to keep people safe
what were the successes of the Organisation for Communications and Transport?
- introduced shipping lanes which meant that fewer collisions occurred
- produced an international highway code so that car drivers followed the same traffic rules wherever they travelled
what were the successes of the Health Committee?
- started an international campaign to kill mosquitoes which spread diseases such as malaria and yellow fever
- worked with the government in Russia to organise an education programme to teach people about how the disease typhus was spread
- sent doctors to look after refugees in Turkey and helped improve living conditions in refugee camps in the 1920s
- the health committee was later renamed the World health Organisation (WHO) which still exists to day
what were the aims of the permanent central opium board?
to stop the cultivation and distribution of opium. opium was legally used as a painkiller but some drug companies also sold it illegally
after 1925, the board became the permanent central narcotics board and tackled other drugs too
what were the successes of the permanent central opium board?
- introduced a system where companies had to have a certificate to say that they were allowed to import opium for medicinal purposes
- blacklisted four large companies that were involved in trading illegal drugs
what were the failures of the permanent central opium board?
- some historians claim that key members of the league were not really dedicated to stopping the sale of opium, as they made large amounts of money from it
which situation with the League of Nations happened in 1920?
the Vilna situation
what happened in Vilna?
many people living there wanted to be Polish not Lithuanian so a Polish army took control of the city and lithuania asked the league for help
what did the league do in Vilna (1920)?
they asked poland to remove its armies but poland said no and France didn’t want to send its army because it wanted Poland as a potential ally against Germany, and Britain didn’t want to send troops without the support of other countries so they did nothing
what situation happened in the league in 1921-1925?
the Upper Silesia situation
where was Upper Silesia?
on the border between Germany and Poland, both German people and Polish people lived there
what was organised in Upper Silesia to decide who should own it?
a plebiscite
when was the plebiscite organised in upper silesia?
1921
who won the plebiscite in 1921 in Upper Silesia?
Germany won with 60% if the votes, but Poland claimed many who voted for germany no longer lived in Upper silesia
how did the league deal with the upper silesia?
they decided to split upper silesia into regions based on how the population voted - Germany received most of the rural areas while Poland received the more industrial areas
what did the Polish and the Germans think of the settlement of Upper Silesia?
they both accepted it, but the Polish didn’t think it was fair because they received roughly half the population but only a third of the land so half a million polish people were now confined in German territory but the Germans were unhappy too because they lost 3/4 of the coal they had owned prior, but they complained and were given the right to import coal at a heavily discounted rate
did the LoN succeed with Upper Silesia?
kinda? the relationship between Germany and Poland got worse by the end of the agreement in 1925, but both accepted the agreement and were both sorta equally unhappy (although the Germans probably less)
what situation happened in the league of nations in 1921?
the Åland Islands
which two countries claimed the Åland Islands?
Sweden and Finland - threatened war on one another
what did the League do about the Åland island situation?
they investigate both countries’ claims to the islands and decided that it should go to Finland, but that Finland was not allowed to build forts on the islands so they couldn’t be used as a base from which to attack sweden
had the league been successful in the Åland islands?
yes, sweden accepted the terms so the League had successfully avoided war
which situation did the league deal with in 1923?
corfu
who got the job to decide the borders between Greece and Albania?
an Italian general, Tellini
what happened to Tellini?
while he was surveying the borders between Greece and Albania him and his men were murdered
who was the leader of Italy during the Corfu incident and what kind of leader was he?
a dictator, Benito Mussolini
what did Mussolini think about what happened to Tellini and his men?
he was furious and blamed the Greek gov. he demanded that the murders should be executed and that he should be paid compensation, but the Greeks didn’t know who murdered Tellini
what did Mussolini do because of the Tellini issue?
he invaded and occupied Corfu, killing 15 people
when did Mussolini invade Corfu?
31st August 1923
how many were killed when Mussolini invaded Corfu?
15
what did the league do after Mussolini invaded Corfu and the Greeks appealed to the League?
they condemned Mussolini but agreed that Greece should pay compensation. the League would look after the money until the murders were found
was Mussolini satisfied with the Leagues decision after his invasion + what did he do?
he was not satisfied so he complained to the Conference of Ambassadors (a group of powerful countries including B, F and J) and persuaded them to undermine the League
what did Mussolini do after his complaint to the conference of ambassadors?
he withdrew his troops and Greece was forced to apologise directly to Mussolini and pay compensation directly to Italy
how well did the League handle the Corfu situation?
not very well, it showed that when a large country threatened a small country with military action, the League could be ignored and overturned by other international groups
what situation did the League deal with in 1925?
Bulgaria
what happened in Bulgaria in 1925?
Greece invaded after Greek soldiers were killed on the Bulgarian border, so the Bulgarians appealed to the League
what did the League do about the Bulgaria situation?
they condemned the Greeks and ordered them to withdraw their troops and pay compensation (which the Greeks thought was hypocritical)
was the league successful in Bulgaria in 1925?
yes but only because Greece was a small country and was unwilling to risk poor relations with powerful members of the League so they obeyed
what situation did the league deal with in 1929?
the wall street crash
what did the league do about the wall street crash?
nothing, they were powerless to do anything
what did Stresemann do to improve relationships between france and germany?
he invited the French foreign minister (Aristide Briand) to meet and sign a treaty - the Locarno treaties
who was the French foreign minister in 1925?
Aristide Briand
when did the Stresemann and Briand meet?
in Locarno, Switzerland
how many treaties did Stresemann and Briand sign at Locarno?
seven
what did Germany accept in the Locarno treaties?
- accepted the borders outlined in the treaty of versailles
- gave up any claim on areas like Alsace Lorraine
- agreed to work together to settle disputes peacefully
what other countries signed the Locarno treaties?
Czechoslovakia, Britain, Italy, Belgium
what did each country agree to in the Locarno treaties?
they agreed to not go to war with any of the others and that if one of the countries broke the treaty they would support the country that was invaded
why was agreeing to support the country that was invaded in the Locarno treaties significant for Germany?
they felt vulnerable to French attack, so this was like a layer of safety for them
why were the Locarno treaties significant?
- many thought they represented an end to the German resentment of the ToV
- signed voluntarily unlike the diktat of 1919
- many saw it as Germany trying to become a peaceful country
- relations improved greatly - so much so that Germany was allowed to join the LoN in 1926
why did some believe that the Locarno Treaties marked a failure of the League?
the League should’ve been at the forefront of any international agreements regarding peace, but they had nothing to do with it
when were the Locarno treaties signed?
December 1st 1925
which two politicians were given the Nobel peace prize and for what?
Stresemann and Briand for the Locarno treaties
how many countries met in Paris for the Kellogg-Briand pact?
65
what did the Kellogg-Briand pact state?
they would not use war as a way to solve disputes
who were the first countries involved in the Kellogg-Briand pact?
Germany, France, and the USA
was the Kellogg-Briand pact involved with the LoN?
no
what was the effect of the Kellogg-Briand pact being independent of the LoN?
it made it look like the league was just a place for countries to air their problems without actually being given solutions
when was the Kellogg-Briand pact signed?
August 27th 1928
was the league involved in the Washington arms conference?
no
why was it not great that the league wasn’t involved in the washington arms conference?
one of the aims of the league was disarmament but they weren’t a part of the first international arms conference
what was the other name for the Washington Arms Conference?
the Washington Naval Conference
who organised the Washington Arms conference?
the USA
what did they discuss at the washington arms (or naval) conference?
how big navies could be
what was decided about the size of a country’s navy at the Washington Arms Conference?
the USA and Britain could have the same size navies, and for every 5 tonnes each of their battleships weighed, Japan could have three tonnes
were Britain, France, and Japan attending the Washington arms conference as representatives of the league or as individual countries?
individual countries
when was the washington arms conference?
12th November 1921 - 6th February 1922
what treaty were Russia forced to sign when they surrendered to the Germans in ww1?
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
what had the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk done to Russia?
it had taken away large quantities of land and forced Russia to pay heavy reparations to Germany
what happened in the Rapallo treaty?
German and Russian representatives met to sign a treaty, where Germany agreed to return the land and money that Germany had taken from Russia and agreed to cooperate together in the future
did the Rapallo treaty involve the League of Nations?
no, beause neither Germany nor Russia were allowed to join the League
when was the Rapallo treaty signed?
April 16th 1922
where was the Rapollo treaty signed?
Rapollo, Italy
how many americans were unemployed b 1933?
15 million
why did people look to extremists in times of struggle?
- they offer simple solutions compared to the complex solutions of other parties
- in a dictatorship, the government runs everything so they are more likely to look after people like the unemployed
- they promised to take land by force so people had space and resources
- they used the promise of victories in war overseas to distract people from the problems at home - these victories restore national pride so the population supports the gov more
- dictators found victims to blame their problems on
why did countries lose support in the League after the wall street crash?
- they were too concerned with their own issues
- Hitler and Mussolini were not afraid to use violence to get what they wanted and weren’t scared by moral condemnation, and the league didn’t have an army to combat this
- because they had no army they would have to ask their members for their army but countries didn’t want the expense of war during a depression
- the only sanctions the LoN could employ were economic ones, but countries weren’t willing to stop trading in a time of economic crisis
where is manchuria?
an area of China on the north-eastern coast
what natural resources was manchuria rich in?
coal and iron ore
what countries had factories in Manchuria in the 1930s?
russia and Japan
was China strong in the 1930s?
no, it was divided and weak
why was Japan struggling in the great depression?
its main exports were silk, but silk is a luxury item which people can’t afford during an economic crisis
how much did the value of silk change in 1932 compared to the early 1920s?
it was a fifth of what it was selling for in the early 1920s
how much had production and employment in silk fallen?
by 30%
why did Japan decide to invade Manchuria?
- it was close
- Japan already had large industries, the South Manchurian Railway, and an army known as the Kwantung Army in the area so invasion would be easier
- there was confusion on who owned it (russia, japan, and china had all owned it in the past)
- Japan was scared that china might kick out Japanese industry
- Japan had fought a war with Russia in 1905, this would upset their old enemies and distract their people from domestic issues
- the Japanese army was getting stronger - people no longer felt like they could trust their politicians to keep the country safe so they began acting without instruction
why did the Japanese army not trust its gov anymore?
they had agreed to the Washington Naval Conference and made their navy weaker
who did the Japanese army assasinate in 1928?
the warlord of Manchuria
when was the warlord of manchuria assasinated?
1928
what did the japanese army think of the gov’s policy of friendship with manchuria?
they thought it was wrong and that they should invade the area and take full control, and the people of Japan supported them - hoping they’d make Japan strong again
when did the Japanese army murder its prime minister?
1932
who did the Japanese gov become dominated after the assassination of the prime minister?
army generals who could force them to take more aggressive actions - the politicians were scared of the army
what do some people classify as the start of the second world war?
July 1937, after Japan had successfully invaded Manchuria and launched an invasion on the rest of China
what happened in the Mukden incident?
- there was an explosion on the South Manchurian Railway - the Japanese army claimed there had been an attack by the chinese soldiers, who had also shot at the railway guards
- the chinese denied this - they said their soldiers had been asleep at the time
- the Kwantung army used the events as an excuse to take over Manchuria
- the people of Japan were delighted with this victory and celebrated so the gov had no choice but to go with the invasion
- Japan renamed Manchuria Manchukuo and put Pu Yi (an ex-chinese emperor in power as a puppet ruler so they could control him
when was the explosion on the South Manchurian railway?
18th September 1931
when did Japan rename Manchuria and what to?
1932, Manchukuo
who owned Manchuria in 1931?
a chinese warlord but his power was weakening
why was the league reluctant to act in the manchurian crisis
- the league didn’t want a big fight
- many though Japan was entitled to Manchuria
- China and Japan were too far away
- there was confusion around who started it
- they thought Japan would introduce order into China’s disorganised politics
what did the League actually do about the Manchurian crisis?
- moral condemnation - but japan just refused
- then they put together a commission of inquiry led by Lord Lytton
why couldn’t the league do much?
- the members of the league couldn’t afford to send troops
- they could issue economic sanctions but japan mainly traded with the US so it was useless
- the nearest powerful country was the USSR but it wasn’t a member so it couldn’t help
what did the commission of inquiry do?
- Lord Lytton went to the area and invesigated
- he put together the Lytton report which was published in October 1932
- the report concluded what people already knew - Japan was in the wrong
- even if there was an attack on the railway, Japan shouldn’t have invaded
what did Japan do about the League’s findings?
they just ignored them and left the League
when did Japan invade Jehol?
February 1933
what was the timeline of 1932?
- Jan: shanghai invaded
- Feb: most of Manchuria under Japanese control
- March: china returns to league for help
- April: Lord Lytton arrives
- Oct: Lytton report published
when did Japan start a full scale invasion of China?
July 1937
how badly did the machurian crisis damage the leagues rep?
not that badly because people still believed that act faster and better if there was a problem in Europe
where is Abyssinia?
in Ethiopia - on North-Eastern coast of Africa
was abyssinia independent?
yes but it was surrounded by British and French colonies
why did Italy want to invade Abyssinia?
- Mussolini had promised to rebuild the Roman empire and wanted somewhere in Africa like B and F, and didn’t they’d object (hypocritical)
- he thought invasion would be easy because Italy already owned small colonies bordering Abyssinia (Eritrea and Somaliland)
- Abyssinia could be good for the Italian economy - rich in resources and good land for grazing animals
-Italy had already tried (and failed) to invade - didn’t think the league would care (corfu incident)
- mussolini was convinced that B+F would do anything to keep Italy as an ally against Germany
what agreement had Britain, Italy and France signed and when?
the Stresa Front 1935
what did they agree to in the stresa front?
to unite against hitler
when did the italian soldiers first clash with the Abyssinians?
December 1934
where had the italians and the Abyssinians first fought?
at Wal Wal - an oasis on the border of Abyssinia and Somaliland
how many died at the first fight between Italy and Abyssinia?
150 Abyssinians and two italians
had the League tried to intervene at abyssinia?
yes (moral condemnation) but they found it difficult as although both countries were members, Italy was intent on war
when did the Pierre Laval meet with Mussolini to make some secret agreements?
January 1935
who was france’s foreign minister?
Pierre Laval
what did Mussolini and Laval agree to?
- France promised Italy not to interfere in Somaliland and Eritrea and gave it land in Chand, but Laval also promised to let Mussolini deal with Abyssinia however they saw fit
when did Mussolini’s troops enter Abyssinia?
3rd October 1935
why did Abyssinia have no chance against the Italians?
the Italians had a lot more advanced technology, the Abyssinian soldiers only had spears
who was the Abyssinian emperor?
Haile Selassie
when did Selassie adress the league in geneva?
30th June 1935
when did Italian troops take the Abyssinian capital?
5th May 1936
what was the capital of Abyssinia?
Addis Ababa
what effect did the Abyssinian crisis have on the League of Nations?
- it had proved once again that it was incapable
- one of its members had violated the covenant (again)
- people’s faith in it was ruined
- it was no longer seen as a serious peacekeeping org
what were the 3 main reasons the League failed in Abyssinia?
- failure to close the Suez Canal
- trade sanctions against Italy and Abyssinia
- the Hoare-Laval pact
how would closing the Suez Canal helped stop Mussolini?
it would mean that it would be more difficult to move troops and supplies
why didn’t Britain and France close the Suez Canal?
they didn’t want to upset Mussolini
why did the Hoare-Laval Pact help Mussolini?
Pierre Laval + Samuel Hoare (F + B foreign ministers) were sent to make a settlement with Italy. In december 1935, they met up in secret and agreed to give Italy areas in Abyssinia, Abyssinia would be reduced to half its size and the land it would keep would be mainly mountain regions whereas italy would get the fertile areas - this land was not theirs to give ad they didn’t discuss their plan with Abyssinia or Italy
what happened when the Hoare-Laval Pact was leaked to the press?
there was a public outcry, the two politicians were forced to resign and it showed that Britain and France were willing to undermine the League for self interest
what trade sanctions were put on Abyssinia?
they were left with nothing to defend themselves with as league members were not allowed to trade with Abyssinia anymore
what trade sanctions were put on Italy?
members of the league were forbidden from importing Italian goods and selling weapons to Italy, but it took a long time to decide what else to ban and they never banned the trade of oil, steel, iron, or coal which would’ve stopped Mussolini’s invasion
why didn’t the British want to ban trading coal to Italy?
they were worried that it would cause unemployment in British mines
why didn’t they ban trading oil to mussolini?
they thought it was pointless because the USA and USSR would still supply them
when did Italy leave the League of Nations?
May 1936
when did the USSR join the League?
1934
why was Italy leaving the LoN seen as the end?
- no one really respected the League - its days of being an international police force had ended
- small countries knew the league could not protect them from invasion
- aggressive dictators realised that the LoN was powerless to stop them starting a war
what were the 11 reasons the league failed?
- no army
- league had too ambitious plans that didn’t really stand a chance of succeeding (stopping war and having peace)
- the league met only once a year, the council could veto, and decisions had to be unanimous so decision making was slow
- the league’s structure was complex and there weren’t enough people to carry out decisions that were made
- America refused to join (+USSR + Germany)
- trade sanctions didn’t work (could still trade with USA)
- powerful nations weren’t scared of moral condemnation so it was useless
- great depression
- people struggled so turned to extremists
- slow to act in Manchurian crisis
- abyssinian crisis - didn’t want to lose mussolini as ally against hitler
