League Of Nations

Question 1

What was the outline of the structure of the league?

Answer 1

• Assembly
• Council
• Secretariat
• Permanent court of international justice
• COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES *

Question 2

Explain the assembly and what they do

Answer 2

• The assembly is made up of all the members in the league
• They meet once a year
• Votes must be unanimous and every member has one vote
• Admitted new members
• Elected non permanent members of the Council
• Controlled the League’s budget

Question 3

Explain the council

Answer 3

• Meets five times a year and when there is an emergency
• Council members can veto any action
• Permanent members included France, Britain, Italy and Japan
• Temporary members were elected by the assembly every three years
• The aims of the council was to resolves disputes by talking but if this failed it could use a range of powers:
  - Moral Condemnation
  - Economic sanctions
  - Military force

Question 4

Explain the Secretariat

Answer 4

• Keeps records of the LoN’s meetings
• Prepares reports
• brings experts together to discuss issues

Question 5

Explain the Permanent Court of International Justice

Answer 5

• Made up of judges from member countries
• Was meant to play the role of settling issues between countries
• Would make the decisions over a boarder dispute
• Had no way to impose its decisions
• Based in The Hague

Question 6

Give examples of Commissions and Committees

Answer 6

• Mandate Commission
• Refugee Committee
• Slavery Commission
• Health Commission

Question 7

What is the International Labour Organisation?

Answer 7

• Based in Geneva and under direction of French Socialist Albert Thomas
• Included representatives of governments, employers and workers among its various committees
• Purpose was to promote good working practices with regards to issues such as working hours, women’s rights, child labour, employers’ liability
  -Collected statistics and tried to persuade member nations to adopt their suggestions which included an eight hour working day, 48-hour working week, annual holidays with pay, the right to join a trade Union and a minimum employment age.
• Failed to persuade countries to adopt a 48-hour week although it did make it difficult for countries to ignore existence of enlightening work practices

Question 8

What were the weaknesses in the LoN?

Answer 8

MEMBERSHIP
- US is not a member and it’s the worlds biggest economic power making it difficult for economic sanctions to prove effective
- Germany was also not a member which caused resentment and enforced the idea that the league was just another way of imposing Versaille

VOTING:
- Vetos meant that powers had too much power
- Unanimous voting took a long time and meant a decision would drag on for ages

COLLECTIVE SECURITY:
-It had no army and relied on the council’s army
- First steps in intervention are too weak meaning that countries do t see them as a threat
- Economic sanctions both damage the leagues own economy and no one is forced to impose them

Question 9

How did the Great Depression contribute to the LoN’s failure?

Answer 9

• Lead to aggressive foreign policies to solve economic crisis
• Extreme governments came to power ( Hitler/ Military government in Japan)
• Br & Fr now focused on their own economy and focusing on self- interest instead of collective security
• Br & Fr can no longer afford sanctions and military intervention

Question 10

What were some successes of the league in the 1920s?

Answer 10

• Aaland Islands (1921)
• Upper Silesia (1921)
• Mosul (1924)
• Bulgaria (1925)

Question 11

What happened in the Aaland islands ?

Answer 11

-1921 -> these islands wanted to be ruled by Sweden but belonged to Finland. They argued and appealed to the LoN for help. The League decided that Finland should keep them but the islands should be demilitarised. These terms were accepted and are still in force today.

Question 12

What happened in Upper Silesia?

Answer 12

• The T of V allowed the people of Upper Silesia to vote on whether they wanted to be part of Poland or Germany. Over 700,000 people voted for Germany and 500,000 for Poland. There was rioting and violence. The League was asked to settle on the matter and it sent experts into the area who after a 6 week inquiry, came to a decision. The League shared the area and gave land to Germany and Poland (1/3 to Poland and 2/3 to Germany) and both countries agreed and accepted.

Question 13

What happened in Mosul?

Answer 13

• 1924 -> Turkey claimed the Kurdish-populated province of Mosul which was part of the British mandated territory in Iraq. The league investigated the problem and made an award in favour of Iraq and Turkey accepted.

Question 14

What happened in Bulgaria?

Answer 14

• 1925 -> Quarrel began between Greek and Bulgarian sentries patrolling the border. Shooting broke out and one of the Greek sentries fell dead. Greek responded by invading Bulgaria who went to the League for help. The League ordered both armies to stop fighting and for Greece to pull back. It sent in experts to access who was to blame and decided it was the fault of Greece. They were ordered to pay £45,000 and both countries accepted.

Question 15

What were some of the failures of the League in the 1920s?

Answer 15

• Teschen (1919)
• Vilna (1920)
• Occupation of the Ruhr (1923)
• Corfu (1923)

Question 16

What happened in Vilna?

Answer 16

• 1920-> in the Middle Ages Vilna was a capital city of Lithuania but this small country was swallowed up by Russia and ceased to exist as a nation. In 1919 Lithuania became independent and wanted its capital back even though only 2% of the population was Lithuanian while 30% was Polish. In 1920 a Polish general seized it and Lithuania asked the LoN for help. It couldn’t persuade the Poles to leave and it stayed in Polish hands for the next 20 years.

Question 17

What happened in Corfu?

Answer 17

• Italian surveyors mapping the Greek-Albanian borders working for the LoN were shot dead on the Greek side of the border
• Mussolini took advantage and demanded compensation for the Greeks.
• When this didn’t happen they bombarded and occupied Corfu.
• The Council wanted to condemn Italy but the great powers wouldn’t allow it and instead put pressure in Greece to accept demands.
• Only when Greeks apologised and pay up did Italian forces leave.

Question 18

What happened in the Ruhr?

Answer 18

• 1923 -> When Germany defaulted on its reparations payments the matter should of been referred to the League but instead France ,supported by Belgium, ordered troops to occupy the Ruhr. This action supported the idea that the League was merely a victors club chasing after victors’ interests.

Question 19

Background on Japan and Manchuria

Answer 19

• Japan mainly traded silk to rich nations but because if the depression no one was buying luxury goods
• Main trading partners were the USA
• Japan had little natural resources so relied heavily on trade
• Military leaders in power decided that the only way to help the situation was to increase the empire.
• Japan got many resources from Manchuria and had many trading interests there
• China was busy in a civil war and was more concentrated on establishing a stable government and defeating communism.

Question 20

What was the Mukden incident ?

Answer 20

• September 1931 Japan claimed that there had been an explosion in the South Manchurian Railway at Mukden and it was nicknames the Mukden incident. Japan blamed this alleged sabotage on Chinese soldiers although it is clear now that if there had been an explosion it would have been staged by Japan.
• Japan used this as an excuse to take control Manchuria and expel Chinese forces, stating the need to protect their railway and trading interests.
• The Japanese government did not order this but it was so popular in Japan that it could not be reversed.

Question 21

What was the LoNs response (Manchuria) ?

Answer 21

• China appealed to the LoN but Japan claimed that their actions were crucial to maintain peace and order in Manchuria as China was wrapped up in a civil war.
• It was difficult for the LoN to establish what exactly had happened because they were based so far away in Geneva.
• The league sent the Lytton Commission lead by Lord Lytton to investigate but they took a whole year to return to Europe with a finished report. Japan was recognised as the aggressor and the report recommended that Manchuria should become a self governed state.
• By this time Manchuria had been renamed Munchako and was ran by a puppet Japanese government, claiming to be independent.
• In 1933 the LoN condemned this act and feeling insulted Japan left the LoN.

Question 22

Why was it difficult for the League to deal with Manchuria?

Answer 22

• Japan was a member of the council and a major power and so the rest of the LoN were afraid to condemn their actions.
• Japan was very far away and it was difficult to decide who was in the wrong.
• Britain had Military bases near that Japan would find easy to attack before any help got there on time, making Britain uneasy.
• The USA was one of Japans greatest trading ally but their presence was lacking in the League, making economic sanctions weak.
• The Great Depression made all countries hesitant upon imposing sanctions as their own economies were struggling.

Question 23

What was Italy like after the First World War?

Answer 23

• Italy was unhappy with its gains after WWI as in 1915 they were promised various lands on the Dalmatian coast but did not receive all this land in the peace treaties.
• The government were criticised and law and order began to break down.
  There was a rise in extremist parties firstly left-wing communists and later an extreme right-wing movement called the Fascists in response to the Communist parties.
• The fascists were lead by Mussolini and by the end of 1922 he was prime minister of Italy.

Question 24

Why did Mussolini invade Abyssinia?

Answer 24

• Wanted to recreate the Roman Empire
• Already had some African colonies like Libya and Italian Somaliland, but Abyssinia remained independent. In 1896 Italy had attempted to invade Abyssinia but were humiliated and defeated by ill-equipped Abyssinian forces.
• He was inspired by what Japan had done and how the League had barely reacted.
• Needed to distract Italians from their domestic problems and Abyssinia was said to posses fertile land and deposits of raw materials,especially minerals.
• Abyssinia would also provide a market for Italian exports.

Question 25

What actions did both countries take? (Abyssinia)

Answer 25

• December 1934 there was a clash between Abyssinian and Italian troops at Wal-Wal an oasis located near the border of Abyssinia and the Italian Somaliland.
• Mussolini claimed this was Italian territory and demanded an apology.
• Abyssinia’s emperor Haile Selassie appealed to the LoN.
• 3rd October 1935, Italian forced invaded Abyssinia and Mussolini claimed he was bringing civilisation to the country.
  -Abyssinia struggled to resist against the attack as Italy was modern and well- equipped and used tanks, aircraft and even poison gas.
• In this case there was no doubt who was the aggressor

Question 26

How did the LoN respond?

Answer 26

• They condemned the invasion as an act of aggression.
• Limited economic sanctions were quickly placed
• Took another 2 months to decided on further sanctions they excluded oil, coal, iron and steal all of which are necessary in a modernised war.
  They also made no move towards the Suez Canal owned by France even though by doing this they would end the invasion.

Question 27

What was Britain’s and France’s relationship with Italy?

Answer 27

-1933 Hitler came to power and Italy had proved to be a useful ally when confronting Hitler:
- Sent troops into Austria in 1934 when Hitler tried to Annex it
- All three nations had signed the Stressa Front agreement when Hitler attempted to introduce conscription
- France was especially scared of Hitler and extremely keen to have Mussolini on his side

Question 28

What was the Hoare-Laval Pact?

Answer 28

-1935, desperate to end the crisis French prime minister and British foreign secretary drafted the Hoare-Laval Pact
- It offered Italy 2/3 of Abyssinia if it stopped the invasion
- News of this leaked to the press and although it was dropped it made it clear to everyone where the priorities of Britain and France lay.

Question 29

Why did the LoN fail in Manchuria?

Answer 29

WALL STREET CRASH
- Lead to Fr & Br focusing on themselves and self interest rather than collective security (eg Sanctions, Military Bases)

SELF INTEREST

AMERICA NOT A MEMBER
- Made sanctions useless and made it hard for Japan to be affected by anything the LoN did accept military intervention.

LoN’s LACK OF ARMY
- Made it so there was so military intervention

DECISION MAKING IN THE LEAGUE
- Took a year for a decision to be reached -> too long by this time it was too late to take any actions. This was partly due to distance not just the LoNs incompetence.

Question 30

Why did the LoN fail in Abyssinia?

Answer 30

-National self interest
- Wall-Street crash
- Decision making in LoN
- US not a member
- Lack of army

Question 31

What was the Mandates Commission?

Answer 31

• Mandate Commission -> Supervised the administration of Germany’s and Turkey’s former colonies by the victorious nations, especially Britain and France, and made sure powerful countries acted in the interest of the people of that territory and not their own. It was made up of a team of expert advisers whose job was to report to the League how the mandates were being treated.

Question 32

What was the refugee committee?

Answer 32

• Refugee Comittee -> Led by Fridtjof Nansen
  -> After WWI there were hundred and thousands of refugees who were trying to go back to their homes.
  ->The most pressing problems were in former Russian territories like the Balkans, Greece, Armenia and Turkey.
  -> 250,000 Russians in German or French camps and 300,000 Germans and former Austro-Hungarians in Soviet Russia.
  ->They took home half a million WWI prisoners and helped a further 425,000 people return home.

Question 33

What was the slavery Commission?

Answer 33

• Slavery Commission -> Worked to abolish slavery across the world.
  -> There was a particularly large issue in South Africa.
  -> They also worked to protect workers who were not slaves but were treated as such.
  -> Freed 200,000 slaves in Sierra Leone and reduced the death rate of African workers engaged on the Tanganyikan railway from 50% to 4%.
  -> Many countries abolished slavery such as Iraq, Jordan and Nepal

Question 34

What was the health commission?

Answer 34

• Health Commission -> Worked to deal with dangerous diseases and to educate people about health and sanitation, working with non-member countries too.
  -> After the WWI there were many new ideas in medicine. The health committee bought experts together and worked with charities and with other independent agencies.
  -> Helped to prevent Malaria and yellow fever by beginning an international campaign to exterminate mosquitoes. Helped the Soviets prevent a typhus outbreak by organising a public education campaign on health and sanitation. Helped reduce the incidence of leprosy and set up research institutions around the world which developed vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis.

Question 35

What was the disarmament commission?

Answer 35

-> Regarded as the most disappointing of all the league’s committees and commissions
-> Article 8 of the League covenant had called all nations to disarm ‘to the lowest point of consistent with national safety’ yet by the end of the 1920s only defeated powers had disarmed
-> A minor success was the Washington Naval Conference of 1921, which lead to naval limitation on the USA, Britain, France and Japan
- > They struggled to call a World Disarmament Conference until 1932 due to failure to decide on technicalities.
-> It was easy for Germans to believe the Allies didn’t want to disarm, they simply wanted to keep Germany weak. This contributed to the failure of the World disarmament conference (1932-34)