League of Nations Flashcards
4 main aims of LON:
disarmament
preventing future war
improve living and working conditions
international cooperation
The assembly:
strengths and weaknesses
strengths: democratic
weaknesses. only met once a year, decisions had to be unanimous.
summary assembly:
It was the league's parliament to which each country sent representative and would vote on: new member in league tempoary members to council budget of league other ideas put forward by council
The council:
strengths and weaknesses
strengths: democratic, avoided conflict through discussion
weaknesses: met 5 times a year
summary council:
small group shich included
-permanent members: france, britain, italy and japan;
-temporary mambers elected by asembly for 3 years
it function was to avoid conflict through discussion.
to stop agrssive countries it used: moral condemnation, economis sanctions, military force.
The international labour organisation:
strengths and weaknesses
strengths: aim was to improve conditions
weaknesses: only met once a year.
summary ILO:
brought together employers, governments and workers representative once a year to improve conditions of working people throuhout the world.
The secretariat:
strength and weaknesses
weaknesses: too much work for few people, overambitious.
summary secretariat:
was civil service which kept records of meetings and prepared reports for agencies of LON.
The permanent court of international justice:
strength and weaknesses
strength: settling international disputes
weaknesses: overambitious
summary PCIJ:
was supposed to play key role in league’s peaceful settlement of international disputes. judges provided by member countries heard cases grought to the by members.
The mandates commission:
strength and weaknesses
strength: strengt ( es un si un strength)
weaknesses: can be seen as weakness after what happens next.
summary mandates commmission:
ensured that britain and france administered german olonies in interests of inhabitants, not their own.
slavery commission:
strength and weaknesses
summary
strength: strength
weakness: overambitious
worked to abolish slavery through out the world
The health commitee:
strength and weaknesses
summary
strength: strength
weakness: overambitious
attempted deal with dangerous diseasesand educate people about health and sanitation
The refugee commitee:
strength and weaknesses
summary
strength: strength
weakness: overambitious
helped return refugees to original home, after en WW1
strengths of LON:
4
- it was democtatic
- it was popular: people were hopeful
- trying to improve living and working conditions
- council met at times of crisis therefore could respod quickly
weaknesses structure LON:
8
-aims overambitious
-no army to enforce decisions
-assembly met ince a year
-decisions had to be unanimous.
-PCIJ had no way to make sure countrie sfollowed rulings
- secretariat too small to handle workload
-france and britain usually guided policy had own agendas
trade sanction damaged countries of LON as well as agressor country.
weaknesses membership LON:
2
-Germany, Russia and USA not members= not league of all nations ( and USA would add more weight to trade sanctions)
-Britain and France usually guided policy, had no resources to replace USA.
(britain had priorities: protect empire and increase trade)
(france as LON didnt have army: cocerned about germany)
League disputes
in 1920’s
summary Vilna 1920
dispute between poland and lithuania. P took control vilns. L wnet LON who protested to P but nothing happened. Britein and france were not prepared to act.
summary Upper Silesia 1921
LON wit peaceful plebescite divided region between germany and poland which both accapted.
summary Aaland Islands 1921
finland and sweeden dispute. both threatened war over the iskands but S accpeted LON rulingof island belonging to F.
summary Corfu 1923
In border between albania and greece italian general and team were killed so Mussolini blamed greece and bombarded islan corfu. greece appealed to leagu for help which the council who was ready for that situation acted swiftly. it condemned italy Mussolini’s actions and made maybe greece pay compensation. But Mussoliny still took matter to conference of embassador which changed ruling to greece appologising and paying compensations. at firts as mussolini wasnt allowed to go to conference of ambassadors it threatened to leave the league. and brotein and france didnt do anything because they werent ready.
(Esto no es necesario que lo tengais exacto es que sepais d q va)
summary Bulgaria 1925
Greek troops invaded bulgaria after some soldiers were killed. Bulgaria appealed to LON who acted quickly demanding forces to stand down and greece ti withdraw. observers were sent to asses the situation and agreed with bulgaria. so they made greece pay compensation of 45000 pounds and threatened with sanctions if not.
why america refused to join LON?
4
-some american had german ancestors and were against TofV
-they were scared the would be ruled by britain of france and would be called to defend their empires. some of them were anti empires
they were worried that trade sanctions would affect them most
they didnt want to send US soldiers to little wars, they didnt want to experience another war after casualities of ww1
LoN with refugees
400000 rturned home
quickly stamped disease in camps
Weaknes: refugee sommitee short of funds
LON with working conditions
banned poisonous lead from pans
limited children work
campaigned for improved working conditions
weakness: majority members refused - cost too much
ILO lack of funds
LON health
collected stadistical info
spread practice
developed vaccenes against deadly diseases like malaria or lepracy
LON slavery and forced labour
freed 200000 slaves in sierra leone
organised raids against slave owners and traders in burma
built railway in africa to reduce death rate of workers
LON internationalism
way to sort international disputes
effective on handling change in diplomacy
helped develop internationalist mindset
weakness: could not deal wth bid¡g issues
LON economic recovery
1928 economy europe was recovering
dawes plan 1924v sorted german economy and helped britain and france
trade reduced political tension and risk of war
LON disarmament
USA, japan, britain and france agreed limit navies in washingthon conference 1921
late 1920s didnt seem big issue as promised peace
weaknesses: 1920 leagu failed in disaramament
failure disarmament damaged germany as it was forced and wasnt ready
LON other actions
In ares social injustice not removed LON kept record of preblems eg. drug trading, prostitution, slavery.
blacklisted german, dutch, french and swish in drug trading.
recommended on problems markings shipping lanes or produce code for road users.
international agreements 1920s
represented hopes of countries
washington conference 1921
decided USA, britain, france and japan agree limit size of navies.
treaty of rapallo 1922
decided ussr and germany reestablish diplamatic relations.
dawes plan 1924
decided to stop economis crisis in germany and usa lent money to pay reparation bill
locarno treaty 1925
germany accept western borders asset out of TofV so allwed join league of nations.
kellog-briand pact 1928
decide 65 nations agreed not to use force to settle disputes
young plan 1928
decided germany’s reparation payments would be reduced
effect grements has on LON
were decided outside lon so undetermine authorityand effectiveness. but it stillachive some of lon’s aims.
impact of economis depression
1929 wall street crash USA
turned 1920 intenational outlook to 1930s nationalist perspective
economic consequences
10
- US loans dried up
- business in countries bankrupt
- unemployment
- tariffs on imprts, trade got worse
- countries started to rearm to get industries working and employment
- USA and britain focus on own ecenomy
- japan exports to USA not happening- impact economy
- germany unemployment, poverty, chaos
- economic problems in italy- empire
- empire sneed raw materials
political consequences
7
-japan invade manchuria (1931)- empire
-germany elected Hitler
-internationalist spirit replaced by nationalist
-Mussolini bilt empire overseas
-rearmament cause alrm and tension- contrast lon aims
-isolationism USA
britain didnt send troop to Manchuria
