Core Content Past Paper Questions Flashcards
Successes of the League of Nations (10 marker)
International Disputes:
- 1921 Upper Silesia and 1925 Bulgaria
- Upper Silesia: a dispute between Ger and Pol over that region. Plebiscite and region divided
- Bulgaria: Greek troops invaded Bulgaria and the secretary-general of the League acted quickly. Greeks obeyed LofN’s decisions and paid 45,000
Development of a Better World:
- Took 400 K POW home
- Set up refugee camps after the 1922 war between Turkey and Greece.
- Health Committee worked against leprosy and malaria.
-League closed down four Swiss companies which were selling drugs, and attacked slave owners in Burma and Sierra Leone, setting free 200,000 slaves.
Economics experts helped Austria (1922) and Hungary (1923).
Failures of the League of Nations?
Failure of Disarmament:
- Britain and France weren’t willing to disarm (France still scared).
- Germany left the LofN because of this.
- It was an imperfect instrument to destroy disarmament (unrealistic)
Dealing with Bigger Powers:
- Manchurian Crisis (1932)
- Ger left the LofN in 1932
- Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935. Although the League officially condemned the Italians, France and Britain were caught making a secret agreement to give Abyssinia to Italy.
What did the ILO do? (4)
Organisation set up by the LofN
❖It consulted with a range of people about working conditions and then gave advice.
❖Each country sent employers, government ministers and workers to discuss working conditions.
❖It collected data and published advice on good working practices, including an eight-hour day, annual holiday with pay, and a minimum working age.
❖It published research into health and safety in the workplace.
❖It made recommendations to governments and employers, but could not make laws.
Main aims of the LofN? (4)
disarmament
preventing war through collective security
settling disputes between countries through negotiation and diplomacy
improving global welfare
Why did the League not involve some major powers when it was set up? (6)
(Some countries believe they have differing roles)
USA- Isolationist policy after WW1
- Wanted to be self-sufficient
- Didn’t want to impose economic sanctions on Countries they traded with
(Disagreements between the allies)
Germany wanted to join
- However, Allies made it clear that Germany would have to apply for membership when they had fully accepted the T.of.V
- They didn’t want to because it was a reminder of defeat ( closely connected with the loss of German economies)
Why did the League not involve some major powers when it was set up? (6)
(Some countries believe they have differing roles)
USA- Isolationist policy after WW1
- Wanted to be self-sufficient
- Didn’t want to impose economic sanctions on Countries they traded with
(Disagreements between the allies)
Germany wanted to join
- However, Allies made it clear that Germany would have to apply for membership when they had fully accepted the T.of.V
- They didn’t want to because it was a reminder of defeat ( closely connected with the loss of German economies)
USSR weren’t allowed because they were considered different
Work of LofN in relation to refugees? (4)
Material and administrative assistance
loans to promote self-help
Assisted refugees in securing documents such as work and residence permits.
Protected refugees from expulsion and other such injustices.
Aims of the Council in the League of Nations?
This was designed to settle major disputes and had 4 permanant members (Britain, France, Italy and Japan) as well as temporary members voted in by the Assembly.
Each permanant member had a veto, whilst the Council could also administer economic sanctions or muster an international force if agreed. Germany became a permanant member in 1926.
What actions could the league take to encourage members to follow its decisions?
Economic Sanctions
Millitary Sanction
It could call on the states in dispute to sit down and discuss the problem in an orderly and peaceful manner. This would be done in the League’s Assembly – which was essentially the League’s parliament which would listen to disputes and come to a decision on how to proceed.
If one nation was seen to be the offender, the League could introduce verbalsanctions – warning an aggressor nation that she would need to leave another nation’s territory or face the consequences.
Roles of the Refugees Commison?
The Refugees Committee - worked to get those people who had been made homeless after the First World War, back home
How was Collective Security supposed to work?
If this did not work, and a member was attacked, all other members would go to its help. This was known as collective security. Help would be arranged by the Council of the League, a smaller body which could meet quickly in a crisis. The League could say that it disapproved of the action of the aggressor.
Disadvantages of the Assembly?
Only met once a year; in a fast-moving world where technology was speeding up events, this was a disaster-events would be over before they were even dealt with
Decisions had to be unanimous - this made it very difficult, as everyone had to agree
When dictatorships began taking control of Europe, they became very difficult to bargain with and could block measures easily by voting them down.
Did not include major powers USA (who never joined), Germany (joined 1926) or USSR (joined 1934)
What was the Assembly?
Decided General policies and discussed international disputes and problems
Handled the finances of the League
A Unanimous vote was needed for any important decision
What was the Permanent Court of Justice?
The League’s court
Set in the Hague, Netherlands.
Gave decisions on border disputes, and passed any laws.
gave legal advice to the Assembly and Council.
its responsibility came in upholding or ammending peace treaties.
Problems with the Permanent Court of Justice?
Althought it could pass laws, it could not enforce them. Acted in an advisory role, with no way of ensuring any of its laws got passed. Only dealt with cases between nations, not individuals, and could only carry weight when member countries were involved.
What was the Secretarist?
Headed by the Secretary General
Consisted of various officials who recorded and administered work and decisions of the League
Looked after all the paperwork, preparing agendas and writing resolutions and reports for carrying out the decisions of the League
By 1935, the League had 62 member-nations
What was the Corfu Incident?
Involved Italy and Greece 1923
Italy refused to accept the authority of the League
Mussolini over-reacted to the news of the murder of the Italian soldiers.
He used force to demand compensation from the Greek Government
When he didn’t get this he captured Corfu
Greece appealed by the League seemed unwilling to respond
Italy was one of the four permanent members of the Council and so the League trod carefully
Why were the League powerless against Japan?
Economic Sanctions were discussed but without America, Japan’s main trading partner, they would be meaningless
Britain and France, both prime movers of the League, suffered from serious economic problems in the 1930s and were reluctant to exert economic pressure on Japan or apply a trade boycott of Japan in case it led to war
Britain seemed to be interested in keeping relations with Japan
What was the Abyssinian Crisis?
Involved Italy and Ethiopia (1953-6)
In 1934, the Italian army had built a fort at Wal-Wal, an oasis in Abyssinia
This was the last uncolonised state in Africa
The Italian soldiers in the fort refused to talk; shots were fired. The Abyssinians were easily defeated by Italian armoured cars and aircraft
In October 1935, the Abyssinians claimed that the Italians had launched a full-scale invasion into their teritory
What did the League do in the Abyssinian Crisis?
Sanctions would only work if they were imposed quickly and decisively but that was not the case
The League condemned Italy
They introduced economic sanctions, namely prohibition of imports of Italy; and prohibition of certain exports like rubber etc: to Italy
How Successful were the League in imposing the Sanctions on Italy in the Abyssinian Crisis?
The sanctions did not include a ban on exports of oil, coal and steel to Italy.
Britain and France dragged their feet over a scheme to prevent Italy’s obtaining oil
Nations like Germany and USA continued their trades with Italy
Didn’t cause major changes in Italy
Britain and France owned the Suez Canal which was Italy’s main export route. They did not close it off
How did the Self Interest of Major Powers lead to the failure of the League?
Britain + France not ready to take on the role as they had both been weakened by WW1
Some British Politicians said that if they had forseen the American decision, they would have voted to not join the League either
Britian was determined to maintain peace and encourage economic recovery after the war
British Politicians, more interested in building trade and looking after the British Empire then being an international police force
France’s main concern was Germany
What were the effects of the Great Depression on the League?
Damaged Trade (Economic Decline)
In Italy, economic problems encouraged Mussolini to try and build an overseas empire to distract the people’s attention away from the difficulties the government faced
France built Maginot Line
Depression led to political changes in certain countries
Countries decided to focus on their own economies rather than the League
Why was the USA not being in the League a problem for the LofN?
‘Trade sanctions would not work.’
‘It left Britain and France as the most powerful countries in the League.’
‘People felt the USA was the only nation with the resources and power needed to make the League work.’
‘The League could not rely on troops from the USA.’
‘The USA was the most powerful country in the world.
