League Of Nations

Question 1

How the League worked (steps)

Answer 1

Step 1:
Various states in dispute discuss matter peacefully. If one state is offender, verbal sanction introduced by League that there will be consequences.
Step 2:
Economic sanctions.
Step 3:
Physical sanctions (military force).

Question 2

3 countries that weren’t members and why

Answer 2

America - refused to join, became isolationist
Germany - not allowed by Treaty of Versailles
Russia - not allowed as they had a communist government which created fear in Western Europe (Red Scare)

Question 3

How many nations were members?

Answer 3

24

Question 4

What was the spirit of League?

Answer 4

Mutual co-operation and desire to avoid war

Question 5

Italy 1919

Answer 5

• Fiume (small port) captured by Italian Nationalists that had been given to Yugoslavia by Treaty
• League did nothing

Question 6

Teschen 1919

Answer 6

• Poland and Czechoslovakia fought for control
• League called in to help
• Most of Teschen went to Poland, one of Teschen’s suburbs with most valuable coal mines went to Czechoslovakia
• Poland didn’t accept decision
• No violence afterwards however both countries continued to argue about it for 20 years

Question 7

Vilna 1920

Answer 7

• Poland seized Vilna
• Lithuania pleaded for League to help but Poles couldn’t be persuaded to leave the city
• Vilna stayed with Poland until outbreak of WW2

Question 8

War between Russia and Poland 1920-1921

Answer 8

• 1920, Poles invade land held by Russians and advance towards Russia
• 1921, Russia made to sign Treaty of Riga which gave Poland 80,000 square km of land to Poland
• League did nothing

Question 9

The Aaland Islands 1922

Answer 9

• Traditionally belonged to Finland however many islanders wanted to be governed by Sweden
• Asked League for help
• League’s decision was that Islands should remain with Finland but that no weapons kept there
• both countries agreed, remains in force to this day

Question 10

Upper Silesia 1921

Answer 10

• Treaty if Versailles gave Upper Silesia referendum to decide if Germany or Poland should govern
• 700,000 Germany, 500,000 Poland led to rioting
• League split Upper Silesia between Poland and Germany

Question 11

Invasion of the Ruhr 1923

Answer 11

• 1922, Germany failed to pay reparations
• 1923, France and Belgium (with British support) invaded Ruhr
• League members broke rules and nothing was done to stop them

Question 12

Memel 1923

Answer 12

• Lithuanian port that Treaty of Versailles put League in control of
• 1923, Lithuanians invaded
• League intervened
• Area surrounding Memel given to Lithuania but port made an “international zone”
• Lithuania agreed to this

Question 13

Turkey 1923

Answer 13

• League failed to stop war in Turkey

- League succeeded at responding to humanitarian crisis caused by war

Question 14

Italy and Albania (Corfu Incident) 1923

Answer 14

• 4 Italian soldiers sent to determine Greece and Albania border killed
• Italy blames Greece
• Demanded 50 million lire compensation and an apology
• Italy bombarded Greek island of Corfu
• League condemned but did nothing to stop
• Greece paid fine but no apology

Question 15

Greece and Bulgaria 1925

Answer 15

• Greek soldier killed
• Greece invaded Bulgaria
• Bulgaria pleaded for help from League
• League ordered both armies to stop fighting
• League sent experts who decided Greece to blame and fined £45,000
• Both nations accepted decision

Question 16

Japanese invasion of Manchuria 1931

Answer 16

• Japan invaded Manchuria
• League ordered Japan to withdraw
• Japan ignored order and left League

Question 17

Italian invasion of Abyssinia 1935

Answer 17

• Italy invaded Abyssinia
• League insisted Italy withdraw and applied economic sanctions
• Germany supplied Italy
• Britain allowed Italy to use Suez Canal to transport arms and men

Question 18

German re occupation of Rhineland 1936

Answer 18

• Rhineland demilitarised by Treaty of Versailles
• Hitler sent troops in
• League did nothing so Hitler grew confident

Question 19

League of Nations strengths

Answer 19

• Clearly defined organisation and covenant
• 24 nations joined
• Co-operation
• Could impose economic sanctions
• Defend interests of all member nations and not just main powers
• Revolutionary step from alliances

Question 20

League of Nations weaknesses

Answer 20

• U.S. refused to join
• U.S.S.R. and Germany not allowed to join
• Britain and France not as powerful as could have been
• No armed forces
• Members were European but strength lay with U.S. (not a member) and Japan (not European)
• Britain tried to make League obligations less binding

Question 21

League of Nations successes

Answer 21

• Teschen = no more violence
• Aaland Islands = both countries agreed to decision, decision still in place today
• Upper Silesia = both countries agreed
• Memel = Lithuania agreed to decision
• Turkey = responded to humanitarian crisis (doctors from health organisation)
• Corfu = condemned
• Greece and Bulgaria = both agreed
• Abyssinia = League demanded Italy to withdraw immediately and applied economic sanctions

Question 22

League of Nations failures

Answer 22

• Teschen = countries continued to argue for 20 years
• Vilna = couldn’t persuade Poles to leave
• War with Russia and Poland = League did nothing
• Invasion of the Ruhr = League members broke rules with no consequences
• Turkey = failed to stop war
• Corfu = didn’t stop Italy
• Greece and Bulgaria = one set of rules for smaller countries, different set of rules for larger countries
• Japanese invasion of Manchuria = Japan left League
• Abyssinia = Britain helped Italy
• Rhineland = did nothing, Hitler gained confidence

Question 23

What was the spirit of the 1920’s?

Answer 23

Spirit of co-operation