League Of Nations Flashcards
Why was the League of nations made
After the first world war everyone wanted to avoid repeating the mass slaughter of the war that had just ended
What is the league of nations
An organisation that could solve international problems without resorting to war
Disagreements about the League organisation:
President Wilson
Wilson wanted the League of nations to be like a world parliment where representatives from all nations could meet together regularly to decide on matters that affected them
Disagreements about the League organisation:
British
Many British leaders though the best League would be a simple organisation that would just get together in emergencies. An organisation like this already existed, it was called the Conference of Ambassadors
Disagreements about the League organisation:
French
France proposed a strong league with its own army
Disagreements about the League organisation:
Who won?
President Wilson won. He insisted that discussions about a League should be a major part of the peace treaties and in 1919 he took presonal charge for drawing up plans for the league. By february he had the plan
Wilsons plan for the League
-All the major nations would join the league, they would disarm, if they had a dispute with another country they would take it to the League
-They promised to protect one another if invaded
-If any member broke the Covenant and go to war, other members would stop trading and sending troops to stop warif necessary
-Wilson hoped that the citizens of the other countries would all be so much against war that they would prevent leaders from entering war
Critics about wilsons plan about league
-Some were angered by Wilson’s arrogant style. He acted as if only he knew the solution to Europe’s problems
-Other were worried about his idealism
-And they asked themselves if under the threat of war, would the punlic really behave and do what the League said?
What probelms did Wilson have?
Before the USA could even join the League, he needed the approval of his congress. And in USA the idea of the League was not popular at all
Why were the Americans not a fan of the League
-Some Americans, particulary the ones who had German ancestors, hated the treaty
-Some feared that joining meant sending US soldiers to settle every little conflict. No one wanted more casualtities after the war
-If the league imposed sanctions, it might be american trade and business suffer the most
-Some feared the League would be dominated by France or Britain - and would be called to help their empires. Many in the US were anti-empires
What were the problems of people oppsoing to wilson
Together the critics of wilsons plan put up a poerful opposition to the league. They were joined by Wilson’s many other political opponents. Wilson’s democratic party had run the USA for 8 years. Its opponent saw the league as the perfect opportunity to defeat him. Wilson toured the USA to give his arguments. When the congress voted in 1919 he was defeated. In 1920 the American chair was empty
How did wilson try to convince the people and congress to vote him
He toured all around the USA giving speeches, tubput his arguments to people
Wilson defeated
In 1920 Wilson became seriously ill after a stroke. But he still continues to press for the USA to join the League. He took thr proposal back to congress again in March 1920, but they defated it by 49 votes to 35
Wilson’s defeat:
Democrats
They were convinced that if America didn’t join international affairs, therw would be another world war. In the 1920 election wilson could not run for president but his successor made membership of the league a major part of the democrat campaign
Wilson’s defeat:
Republicans
The Rublican candidate, Warren Harding, campaigned to be Isolationist. His slogan was to return to ‘normalcay’ which he meant life as it was before the war, the USA isolating from European affairs. Harding and the Republicans won.
Wislons defeat:
The league
The USA never joined the League. This was bad for Wilson and the democrats. But also a body blow to the League
What was the Covenant
The covenant set out the aims of the league of nations. It was 26 articles or rules, which all memebers of the League agreed to follow
The 5 aims of the league of nations
- discourage agression from any nation
- encourage countries to co-operate, especially in businnes and trade
- encourage nations to disarm
- improve living and working conditions of people in all parts of the world
- collective security
Article 10 of the covanent = collective security
By acting together collectively, the members of the League would prevent war by defending the lands and interest of all nations, large or small.
Membership of the league
In absence of USA, Japan, Ital, Britain and France were permanent members, but France and Britain usually guided the the policy. However both countries were poorly placed for this role. Neither of them had the resources to fill the gap of the USA. They felt the americans were the only nation who could make the League work. They also felt the trade sanction would only worked if the applied them
Britain and France had differnet priorities for the League:
Britain
British politicians, were more interested in rebuilding British trade and looking after the British empire than in being an international police force
Britain and France had differnet priorities for the League:
France
France’s main concern was still Germany. It was worried that without and army of its own the League was too weak to protect France from it’s powerful neighbour. It did not think Britain would send an army to help it. This made france prepared to bypass the League if necessary in order to strengthen its position against Germany.
Memebership of the League of nations:
France
1919-1945
Memebership of the League of nations:
Britain
1919-1945
Memebership of the League of nations:
Italy
1919-1937
Memebership of the League of nations:
Japan
1919-1933
Memebership of the League of nations:
Germany
1926-1933
Memebership of the League of nations:
USSR
1926-1933
Memebership of the League of nations:
USA
Never joined
The organisation of the League:
The council
- smaller group than the Assembly. They met five times a year and in cass of emergency.
- permanent members: in 1920 these were Britain, France, Italy and Japan
- each of the members of the Council had a veto
- aim: resolves dispute by talking. If it didn’t work the council would use a range of powers:
- moral condemnation
- economic and financial sanctions
- military force
What is a veto?
This meant that one permanent member could stop the council acting even if all other members agreed
Moral condemnation:
They could decide which country was the ‘agressor’ and tell it to stop what it was doing.