League of Nations

Question 1

Structure, organisation and membership

Answer 1

• all major nations to join, would agree to disarm and protect each other
• 1st major weakness: US refused to join, lost power and legitimacy
• B +F led the League, Italy and Japan were also on Security Council
• B + F were in no position to lead after WW1

Question 2

Tell me about the Council

Answer 2

• actions available: moral condemnation, economic sanctions and military force
• each member had a veto

Question 3

Tell me about the Assembly

Answer 3

met 1 time per year (all member states) and all decisions had to be unanimous

Question 4

Vilna, year

Answer 4

1920

Question 5

Vilna, 1920

Answer 5

Poland invades Vilna, capital of newly formed Lithuania, Lithuania appeals to League
League orders Poland to withdraw and wait for plebiscite, Poland refuses and League doesn’t do anything, it is powerless
B + F not ready to escalate the issue

Question 6

Upper Silesia, year

Answer 6

1921

Question 7

Upper Silesia, 1921

Answer 7

plebiscite among Silesia people to see if they wanted to join Poland or Germany, divided amongst nations due to results

Question 8

Aaland Islands, year

Answer 8

1921

Question 9

Aaland Islands, 1921

Answer 9

Finnish territory, largely Swedish population, many islanders wanted independence from Finland (almost led to conflict)
Sweden and Finland both wanted the islands, League gave them to Finland but with protections for Swedish islanders, decision respected

Question 10

Corfu, year

Answer 10

1923

Question 11

Corfu, 1923

Answer 11

• Italian general Tellini murdered, Mussolini suspects the Greek gvt. and gets furious
• Italy bombs and occupies Corfu
• Greece appeals to LoN, which morally condemns Italy and suggested Greeks pay (only if/when murderers found and would be held by League)
• Mussolini said that the Council was not competent enough, issue had to be resolved by Conference of Ambassadors, and even threatened to leave the League
• Mussolini won, Greeks to apologise and pay direct compensation

Question 12

What did the Corfu crisis show?

Answer 12

how the LoN could be undermined by its own members, and how it was weak when Britain and France disagreed

Question 13

Geneva Protocol

Answer 13

Aftermath of Corfu: if 2 members disputed they’d have to accept the council’s decision, to strengthen the League. But the new British conservative gvt. didn’t want to sign, weakening the LoN further.

Question 14

Bulgaria, year

Answer 14

1925

Question 15

Bulgaria, 1925

Answer 15

Greece invades Bulgaria, LoN condemns it and forces it to withdraw and pay compensation, Greeks obey
Seen as a success, but Greece complains that there is one rule for major powers (Italy) and another for smaller nations.

Question 16

What was one reason Bulgaria 1925 was deemed successful for the League?

Answer 16

B + F were united

Question 17

List areas of the LoN’s humanitarian work.

Answer 17

Refugees
Working conditions
Health
Transport
Social problems

Question 18

Refugees

Answer 18

around 400 000 prisoners returned home
refugee crisis in Turkey 1922: LoN worked quickly to prevent cholera, smallpox and dysentery in refugee camps

Question 19

Working conditions

Answer 19

International Labour Organisation limited hours small children could work
encourage employers to improve working conditions

Question 20

Health

Answer 20

Health committee helped defeat leprosy, reduce malaria and yellow fever
eventually became WHO

Question 21

Transport

Answer 21

international highway code for road users
making of shipping laws

Question 22

Social problems

Answer 22

targeted illegal drug trade
freed 200 000 slaves
improved WC on building Tanganyika railway in Africa

Question 23

List 3 international agreements relating to the LoN

Answer 23

Disarmament, 1920s
Locarno Treaties, 1925
Kellog-Briand Pact, 1928

Question 24

Disarmament in the 1920s

Answer 24

plans in 1923 and 1926 all failed, Germany was the only one disarmed

Question 25

Locarno Treaties, 1925

Answer 25

Germany accepted borders with Belgium and France, and demilitarisation of the Rhineland, which led to Germany being invited to join the LoN in 1926

Question 26

Kellog-Briand Pact, 1928

Answer 26

65 nations agreed to reject war and use LoN to solve disputes, however there were no consequences settled

Question 27

What did the improving economy in 1920s mean for the LoN

Answer 27

improved trade and international relations, countries less likely to fight if they need each other

Question 28

Economic depression effects on LoN

Answer 28

• Britain unwilling to get involved in international disputes due to her own economic problems
• Germany: led to rise of Nazis/Hitler, more nationalistic approach to foreign policy
• France increasingly suspicious of Germany, began reinforcing its borders

Question 29

Disarmament failure in the 1930s

Answer 29

July 1932- Disarmament Conference promised to limit artillery, tanks and prohibit chemical weapons, but no way to enforce this
October 1933- Hitler withdraws from LoN, protesting about inequality of disarmament and felt Germany was being singled out

Question 30

Manchurian Crisis

Answer 30

1931, Japan invades China