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League of Nations Flashcards

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1
Q

Manchuria

A
  • Japan needs Manchuria for its natural resources after GD
  • They invade Manchuria, China asks LON for help and they do nothing
  • European powers wanted to maintain trade routes between far east and them, showing that the LON was biased and ineffective
  • European countries were more concerned about their own political instability and threats like Nazi Germany
  • Manchuria was geographically distant from major European powers
  • Lytton Commission took several months to make a report on Manchuria
  • Japan withdrew from the League after moral sanctions
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2
Q

Abyssinia

A
  • France and Britain want to maintain good relations with Italy
  • Very mild/ineffective sanctions (no oil sanctions, only prohibiting arms sales which harms Abyssinia more than Italy)
  • Ineffective sanctions because Italy is maintaining control and supervision over Germany and Austria, already having prevented an Anschluss
  • League’s lack of fast decision making is shown (They take nearly a year for sanctions to be made)
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3
Q

Successful? in 1930s

A

YES when dispute was between two small countries (ADD EXAMPLES)
NO when dispute included a major power

  • Saar commission returns Saarland to Germany, great success for Hitler and shows effectiveness of LON
  • After the GD, major powers like Japan, Germany, and Italy were leaving the league after going against restrictions
  • USSR expelled after Finland invasion in 1939
  • German invasion of Poland in 1939 collapses the league
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4
Q

Great Depression

A
  • Reduces effect of economic sanctions since members didn’t want to enforce them due to their need for resources
  • Extremist parties gain power
  • Countries focused on self-determination, going against the ideas of the LON (collective security)
  • Countries don’t want to share military so military sanctions are ineffective if not useless
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5
Q

German membership

A
  • At first, not allowed to join
    Britain and France did not trust them as members
    They would need to prove that they are not a threat
    War Guilt Clause also served as a demotivating factor for them being members
  • Joined in September 1926 because of the Locarno Pact
    Locarno Pact - An agreement made between Germany, Britain, France, Belgium, and Italy mutually guaranteed peace in Western Europe
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6
Q

USSR membership

A

They did not join the LON initially
This was because they had just gone through a revolution so they were rebuilding the country
(Same as US) They didn’t want to be involved in European disputes
Eventually joined but were kicked out due to their invasion of Finland in 1939

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7
Q

USA membership

A

Didn’t join LON at all even though it was WW’s idea
- Wanted to keep out of European affairs after heavy spending and casualties in WW1
- Potentially would set back they economy
- General public in US strongly disagreed with WW and didn’t want to be members

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8
Q

Members

A

Original (Jan 1920)
- 42 countries including
- Italy, France, Japan, Britain (The Big 4)

NOT original members
- Germany (Joined Sept 1926)
- USSR (Joined Sept 1934)
- USA
- Austria (Joined Dec 1920)

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9
Q

Aims

A
  1. Prevent future war
  2. Global disarmament
  3. Improve global healthcare and wellbeing
  4. Provide financial advice/aid for countries in need and increase cooperation between countries financially
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10
Q

Aim: Improve living conditions

A

SUCCESS
- Health Organisation helped with technical assistance and advice on public healthcare internationally
- Helped Soviet Russia prevent a typhus epidemic
- Helped develop and distribute vaccines for tetanus and other diseases
- Widely reguarded as the most successful organisation of the league

FAIL
- Low importance to public heathcare since it didn’t classify as the “global state of emergency” needed for a league meeting

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11
Q

Aim: International cooperation economically

A

SUCCESS
- Fixed difficult financial situation on Austria and other smaller countries by controlling interest rates and the circulation of bank notes, as well as providing advice
FAIL
- GD made countries focus on self-determination, with less inclination to cooperate internationally and more centered on sustaining their country on their own

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12
Q

Aim: Disarmament

A

SUCCESS
- Naval limitations on Britain, France, Japan, and USA in 1920

FAIL
- Only defeated powers were forced to disarm following the terms of their respective peace treaties
- No major global disarmament efforts were made

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13
Q

Aim: Discouraging aggression from any nation

A

SUCCESS
- Moral - Economic - Military sanctions
- Collective security internationally (though made ineffective due to GD)

FAIL
- No LON army
- Absence of USA’s power

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14
Q

Assembly

A
  • Authority to admit new members (two thirds vote)
  • Approving LON’s budget/financial decisions
  • All members could discuss recurring issues
  • Propose ammendments/changes to the covenant of the LON
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15
Q

Collective security

A

Not likely to work bc:
- Significant nations were not members of the League like USA or USSR, meaning that threats exist outside of the League
- Required unanimity when making decisions which meant that making decisions was difficult and long
- Self-interest: nations often preferred their own interests over international security
- LON had no standing army

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16
Q

Successful in 1920?

A

SUCCESSES:

DISPUTE
- 1921 Solved dispute between Sweden and Finland over the Aaland Islands (given to Finland)
- 1921 Solved dispute between Germany and Poland over Upper Silesia

HEALTH
- Helped USSR prevent typhus epidemic
- Developed vaccines for tetanus and other diseases

FAILS:

  • USSR/USA not members (harmed collective security)
  • Due to unanimous decision taking, votes took a long time to pass
  • Failed to take decisive action when Italy invaded Corfu in 1923
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17
Q

Weaknesses of assembly/council

A

ASSEMBLY:
- Unanimity rule meant decisions were difficult to pass
- Slow because of large amount of members
- Decisions didn’t have major consecuences if not followed
- Infrequent meetings (once a year)
COUNCIL:
- Also required unanimity
- Was dominated by B/F, Italy, Japan which often acted on self interest
- Very few non-permanent state members
- No military force

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18
Q

Permanent court of justice

A
  • Hear and decide upon country’s disputes
  • Provide legal advice to the Council of the League
  • Promote stability and consistency on international relations
  • Provide binding judgements on parties involved
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19
Q

Why did the League not include all countries in its membership?

A
  • Country’s own decision
  • Two-thirds vote to admit a country
  • Some seen as agressors
  • New members had to show commitment to the League’s values
20
Q

Vilna

A

1920:
- Poland took control over the Lithuanian capital Vilna
- LON protested to Poland but they did not pull out
- Poland was a more powerful state and had international support
- France and Britain were not prepared to act

21
Q

Mukden Incident

A
  • Japanese officers staged an explosion on the South Manchuria Railway
  • Japan blamed China for the damages
  • Lytton commission investigated the incident but took a long time to report
  • It concluded that the incident was orchestrated
  • League condemned Japan so Japan withdrew from LON in 1933
22
Q

Corfu

A

1923
A commission lead by Italy was appointed to deliniate the borders between Greece and Albania
Italy’s commission leader and 4 other men assasinated by unkown person, Greece blamed
Italy demanded an apology and economic compensation, Greece declines
Italy bombs and later occupies Corfu
WEAKNESSES:
- Highlights how agressive actions recieve little reprecussions from the league
- Had to go to the Council for help since it couldn’t impose military power
- Since Italy was a powerful, main member of the League, they couldn’t take strong action against them
- B/F self-interest wanting to maintain good relations with Italy

23
Q

Upper Silesia

A

Dispute between Germany and Poland in 1919-21
- TOV organised a plebiscite to decide to whom it would go to (60% Germany and 40% Poland caused violence)
ROLE OF LEAGUE
- Established a commission to oversee the situation and make recommendations
- Drew a new border to divide the region into a Polish and German section
- Germany kept rural area, Poland industrial area
- Supervised the implementation of the new border by overseeing economic arrangements

24
Q

Aland islands

A

Dispute between Sweden and Finland, Aaland Islands mostly Swedish speaking
LEAGUE SOLUTION
- Established a commission to interview locals and examine historical considerations
- Acknowledged historical ties with Sweden and strategic (defensive) importance to Finland
- Recommended that the islands should stay with Finnish control
- They also said that the islands should be granted autonomy (good for Swedish speaking people), giving them protection of their language and self-government

25
Q

Greek-Bulgarian crisis

A

AKA War of the Stray Dog
Greek forces invaded Bulgary, capturing villages near the border
LEAGUE ACTION
- They immediately called for a ceasefire
- Established a Commission of Inquiry
- Concluded that Greece withdraws from Bulgary and pays for damages caused
- Established a neutral zone along the Greek/Bulgarian border

26
Q

Slavery Commission

A
  • Study and report on the status of slavery and forced labour (Africa, Middle East, Asia, Latin America)
  • Recommend measures for their abolishment
  • Published reports on their findings to raise international awareness
  • Created the 1926 Slavery Convention
27
Q

Haille Selassie

A
  • Invasion of Italia on Ethiopia
  • Imposed sanctions not including oil
  • Nations that were not members, including USA, continued trade with Italy
  • Many members wanted to maintain good relations with Italy
28
Q

(a) Describe attempts by the League of Nations to encourage disarmament.

A
  • Disarmament Conference of 1932 with the aim of limiting size of armies
  • Established mechanisms for verifying that countries would disarm
  • Member states were encouraged to submit reports on military spending
  • Geneva Protocol prohibited the use of chemical weapons (1925)
29
Q

(b) Why did Japan withdraw from the League of Nations in 1933?

A
  • Due to League’s sanctions following Mukden crisis (In response to Lytton Committee that condemned Japan’s actions)
  • Rising nationalism in Japan (Seeked to expand territory, gather resources after GD)
30
Q

(c) ‘Britain was responsible for the League’s failure to deal effectively with the Italian invasion of Abyssinia.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

A

YES, bc
- Self interest (mantain good relations since they were keeping an eye on Germany already having prevented an anchluss 1934, not implementing oil sanctions)
NO, bc
- League inefficiency (failure to make a decision due to unanimity, no military force, countries could veto decisions)

31
Q

(a) Describe the work of the League of Nations in dealing with slavery.

A
  • Study and report on the status of slavery and forced labour (Africa, Middle East, Asia, Latin America)
  • Recommend measures for their abolishment
  • Published reports on their findings to raise international awareness
  • Created the 1926 Slavery Convention
32
Q

(b) Why was there a crisis in 1921 in Upper Silesia?

A
  • Third Silesian Uprising (Poland wanted to secure the region for itself, creating chaos and insecurity)
  • Plebiscite (campaigns propaganda to influence the outcome of plebiscite, economically rich with coal)
33
Q

(c) ‘It was the behaviour of member states, not the structure of the League, that led to its failure.’
How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

A

YES, bc
- Self interest (wanted to maintain good relations with powerful countries like Italy in Abyssinia,

NO, bc
- Unanimous votes lead to slow decisions
- Countries could veto decisions

34
Q

(a) What was meant by ‘collective security’?

A
  • Country’s safety relied on other countries contributing military force
  • Form of international cooperation
  • Agreement to fight and take down potential threats
  • Way to maintain global peace
35
Q

(b) Why was the work of the League’s agencies for refugees and health important?

A
  • Helped global living conditions (Prevented typhus epidemic in Russia, developed tetanus vaccines)
  • Liberated refugees (Provided assistance to Armenian refugees after Armenian Genocide by providing camps, population exchange between Greece and Turkey after Greco-Turkish war)
36
Q

(c) ‘The successes of the League in handling international disputes during the 1920s demonstrated that it had real power.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

A

YES, bc
- Aaland Islands (Resolved dispute between Finland and Sweden, giving the islands to Finland but providing self-government)
- Upper Silesia (Drew a border dividing the region into German and Polish halves, resolving dispute)

NO, bc
- Corfu (Showed its lack of military power, and how ineffective they were against major world powers due to self interest)
- Vilna (The League was unable to force Poalnd to withdraw from Vilna)

37
Q

(a) What methods could the League of Nations use to deal with international disputes?

A
  • Moral sanctions
  • Economic sanctions
  • Military sanctions
  • Establishing plebiscites
38
Q

(b) Why did the Depression make the League’s work more difficult?

A
  • Self interest (Countries focused on maintaining their own economy and ignored international help, reluctant to trade with other countries and wanted to hold physical resources, Manchuria invasion shows this)
  • Economic instability (Didn’t want to share army with the League due to economic crisis, USA adopted isolationist measures decreasing international cooperation)
39
Q

(c) ‘The greatest successes of the League were achieved by its agencies.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

A

YES, bc
- World Health Organisation developed tetanus vaccines and prevented typhus outbreak in Russia
- Slavery Commission created reports on slavery in Asia, South America, Africa, and recommended measures to stop slavery

NO, bc
- Lack of enforcement mechanisms for ILO (International Labour Organization)
- Assembly solved important international disputes like Aaland Islands and Upper Silesia

40
Q

(a) What were the agencies of the League of Nations?

A
  • World Health Organization
  • ILO (International Labour Organization)
  • Commission for Refugees
  • Slavery Commission
  • Permanent Mandates Commission

WHOs my little Mandate Slave Rapist

41
Q

(b) Why was the League able to resolve the dispute over the Aaland Islands?

A
  • Examined historical considerations (Acknowledged strategic importance to Finland and ethnic links with Sweden to mak it more fair for both sides)
  • Autonomy (Giving the region self-government and protection of the Swedish language)
42
Q

(c) ‘Failure to bring about disarmament was the most important problem facing the League in the 1930s.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

A

YES, bc
- Wouldn’t have made countries focus so much on remilitarizing for protection
- Rose tensions in Europe due to disputes such as Manchuria and the Rhineland

NO, bc
- GD meant that countries were not focused on international cooperation
- Withdrawal of Germany, Japan, and Italy meant that they had lost significant authority

43
Q

(a) Describe the League’s reaction to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

A
  • Organised the Lytton Committee to investigate on the Mukden incident
  • Took nearly a year to act
  • Imposed moral sanctions on Japan
  • No military sanctions due to their lack of military force
44
Q

(b) Why did the League fail to give effective support to Haile Selassie?

A
  • Ineffective sanctions (Since B/F wanted to maintain good relations with Italy so that they observe Germany, no oil sanctions were imposed )
  • Non-member states (Like US continued to trade with Italy, making their economic sanctions useless)
45
Q

(c) How far do you agree that the League was a success in the 1920s? Explain your answer.

A

YES, bc
- 1921 Solved dispute between Germany and Poland over Upper Silesia
- Helped USSR prevent typhus epidemic
- Developed vaccines for tetanus and other diseases

NO, bc
- USSR/USA not members (harmed collective security)
- Due to unanimous decision taking, votes took a long time to pass
- Failed to take decisive action when Italy invaded Corfu in 1923

46
Q

Successes/Fails

A

SUCCESSES
- Upper Silesia (Germany and Finland)
- Aaland Islands (Sweden and Finland)
- Greek-Bulgarian crisis

FAILS
- Corfu (Greece and Albania)
- Vilna (Poland and Lithuania)

History (6 decks)

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