League of Nations

Question 1

describe the work of the agencies

Answer 1

• health committee
• international labor org
• slavery committee
• refugee committee

Question 2

What are the structural weaknesses of the league

Answer 2

membership
• doesn’t include defeated nations like Germany or Austria
• USSR isn’t there because they’re communist
• USA - their Congress objected to membership; entered period of isolationism

bias
• Britain and France main powers- too much power; don’t work well together

security
• could raise armed forces from membering states when dealing with larger countries, so reluctant to do this
• undermines league

idealism
• attempt to avoid another war
• unanimous, so if no one could agree, no action was taken

Question 3

Describe the events of Aaland islands

Answer 3

• 1920
• belonged to france but Sweden claimed them and most islanders wanted Swedish ruling
• league decided islands stay with Finland; inhabitants have Swedish way of life protected
• both countries agree

Question 4

Describe the events of Upper Silesia

Answer 4

• 1921
• according to TofV, they could vote if part of Germany or Poland
• league rules most land to Germany but industrial land to Poland
• countries agree

Question 5

describe the events of the Greek-Bulgarian war

Answer 5

• 1925
• Greek army invaded Bulgaria who appealed to the league
• league council found Greece guilty and imposed a fine

Question 6

Describe the successes of the refugee committee

Answer 6

• raised money, transport, designed houses, medical aid
• 1920-22, helped over 425,000 prisoners return home
• found horns for 600,000 Greeks fleeing the Turks

Question 7

describe the events of Vilna

Answer 7

• 1920
• claimed by Poland and Lithuania
• league asks Poles to withdraw
• actions ignored and by-passed

Question 8

Describe the events of Corfu

Answer 8

• 1923
• 5 Italians killed on Greek site
• Mussolini demanded compensation but Greeks refused
• Mussolini bombarded and occupied Corfu
• league council wanted to concern aggression BUT france and Britain didn’t want to anger Mussolini
• Greeks pressured to meet Italian demands
• Greece thought league favors bigger countries

Question 9

describe the Locarno treaties

Answer 9

• 1925
• Germany signs these with Britain france Italy and Belgium
• all agree not to go to war
• Germany agrees to accept western borders of 1919
• changes to borders of Poland and Czech not through force but negotiations
• fails 1936 when Germany invaded Rhineland

Question 10

Kellogg-briand pact. describe.

Answer 10

• 1928
• 45 countries agree to never go to war again
• unrealistic pointless and frankly quite ridiculous

Question 11

describe the effects of the Wall Street crash on the US

Answer 11

• industrial production drops by 45%
• 5000 banks go out of business
• has to call back loans from European countries
• because politicians are more interested in rebuilding economy, foreign policy becomes expressly isolationist
• high import taxes

Question 12

describe the effects of the Wall Street crash on Britain

Answer 12

• Labour govt splits up
• financial cuts to public spending and army budget
• industry and manufacture declines
• new coalition govt created

Question 13

describe the effects of the Wall Street crash on france

Answer 13

• military problems- weak weaponing
• unemployment
• has lots of loans to pay back
• increased social division

Question 14

describe the effects of Great Depression on Germany

Answer 14

• 33% of working population unemployed
• support for nazis increases
• farming income fails
• factory production reduced by 60%

Question 15

how could the league help any attacked member

Answer 15

• condemn the aggressor
• impose economic sanctions
• join force wit other members to take military action
• disarmament