League of Nations

Question 1

What were the aims of the League of Nations?

Answer 1

1. COLLECTIVE SECURITY
   - World peace achieved through international cooperation & commitment to an open, just and honourable relations between nations
2. DISARMAMENT; reduce ability of countries to wage war
   - Military capabilities reduced through international agreements
   - Both Germany and its allies + Allied Powers had to disarm
   - Mean to deter aggression from starting a war
   - Sanctions, repercussions, make aggressor nations think twice before invading

Question 2

What were the Reasons for the weakness of the League of Nations?

Answer 2

1. Structural Weaknesses
2. Post-war attitudes of major powers
3. Key failures of the league in 1930s

Question 3

What were structural weakness of LoN?

Answer 3

1. Lack of authority & credibility
   - Ineffective against strong offending nations that ignored criticisms & condemnations
   - LoN did not have am army to enforce military sanctions
   - League members were not willing to be involved militarily
   - League members did not want their own economy to be affected
   - Offending League member could withdraw from League
2. Limited membership of the League
   - Initially consisted of 42 members, Britain, France, Italy & Japan were permanent members
   - USA despite having world’s largest economy, and being a military power did not join the League, did not want to commit to LoN
   - Due to USA’s non interventionist policy, LoN did not receive their necessary economic & military backup
   - Germany was not allowed in until 1926, USSR was not allowed in until 1934
   - Lacked strong members to enforce its sanctions, aggressive nations could ignore sanctions

Question 4

What were post-war attitudes of the major powers?

Answer 4

• Britain & France were war weary, had a pacifist frame of mind,
• USA retreated back into isolationism
• Italy was dissatisfied with its share of spoils
• Japan wanted a larger share of the Far East, was aware of its lack of resources

DISTRUST:
- Most powers were unwilling to help maintain world peace and security
- Most countries did not have sufficient military power to apply sanctions or deal with threats from powerful countries

APPEASEMENT:
- Powerful British Navy & French Army pacifist, unwilling to be involved, chose policy of appeasement.
- War-weary of heavy casualties in WW1, Feared creating new conflict

Question 5

What were the key failures of the LoN in the 1930s?

Answer 5

1. Manchuria, 1931
   - Japan set up a puppet government in Manchuria, named Manchukuo
   - When League refused to recognise it, Japan resigned from LoN and pushed further into China, LoN could not do anything, failed to agree to sanctions
2. Abyssinia, 1935-1936
   - Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935, League banned sale of arms, rubber and some metals
   - Sanctions not harsh, did not have much effect,
   - Britain and France refused to be involved militarily,
   - Abyssinia was conquered by Italy, Italy left LoN in 1937

Question 6

What were some successes of the LoN?

Answer 6

Yugoslavia attempted invasion of Albania 1920

LoN intervened & made them withdraw (collective security working in smaller nations)

Aaland Islands 1921
Both Sweden & Finland disputed over islands, both wanted.
LoN intervened, Sweden accepted letting Finland having the islands,
Solved peacefully