LON AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE - League of Nations Flashcards
What were the LON aims?
1) Maintain peace
- disarmament (reducing weapons)
- arbitration (discussions not fighting)
- Collective security
2) Encourage cooperation
- help solve economic and social problems (disease, slavery, poor working/ living conditions)
Who joined the LON initially?
42
How many members were there in the 1930s?
60 (making LON look strong)
What did the assembly do?
1) met once a year
2) discussed matters like maintaining peace
3) Every member had one vote at the assembly
4)Decisions could only be made if everyone agreed
What did the council do?
1) met 4 times a year
2) permanent members (GB,F,I,J, later G)
3) temporary members
4) dealt with international affairs - aimed to settle disputes
5) all had a vote, PM had veto (reject council’s decision)
What did the secretariat do?
Carry out work of the league, like a civil service
What did the international labour organisation?
They discussed and made suggestions to improve working conditions.
What did the permanent court of international justice?
made of 15 judges - settle international disputes
What could the PCIJ do ?
1) decide which country is in the right
2) tell a country it was doing wrong
3) impose sanctions
What sanctions were there in LON?
1) moral condemnation ( Tell a country off)
2) Economic sanctions (penalty damaging economy e.g. stop trading)
3) Military sanctions (send troops - LON didn’t have its own army - use LON members armies)
What did the International Labour Organisation do? - success / failure?
1) aimed to improve working conditions
+ 77 countries set min. wages
+ attempted to ban dangerous white paint
- kids under 14 still worked
- working hours were still 8 hr +
What did the slavery commission do? - success / failure?
1) aimed to abolish slavery
+ slavery abolished in sierra leone (200,000 set free in 1927)
What did the health organisation do? - success / failure?
+ set campaigns to kill mosquitoes
+ sent doctors to help refugees
What did the commission for refugees? - success / failure?
aim: return prisoners of war and refugees home, improve camp conditions
+ freed 500,000 prisoners, returned them home
+1.5 mil fled to russian refugee camps
- jews fleeing germany had less power (G rejected appointing this as a higher commission)
What did the permanent central opium board do? - success / failure?
aim: to stop cultivation and drug distribution
+ installed certificate of verification to obtain opium
- members weren’t dedicated as they gained money from opium.
What was the purpose of the special commissions?
To tackle issues that the league were worried about
Why was there a dispute for Upper silesia?
1) It was a valuable industry
2) Citizens vote (referendum) to be in Germany or Poland was too close to decide
How did the LON solve the Upper silesia dispute?
1921 - Divided the area between Poland and Germany
Why was there a dispute for The Aaland Islands?
1) A-islands sat between Sweden and Finland
2) belonged to Finland but citizens wanted to be ruled by sweden
How did the LON solve the Aaland Islands dispute?
1921 - decided it should be ruled by the finnish.
- both sides accepted this
Why was there a dispute for Bulgaria?
1) invaded by Greece in 1925 after border dispute
How did the LON solve the Bulgaria dispute?
Ordered Greece to withdraw, this was obeyed
Why was there a dispute for Corfu?
1923 - The greek island was occupied by Italy
- response of italian diplomat being shot in greece
How did the LON not solve the Corfu dispute?
1) Told italy to leave, fined greeks
2) Italy ignored, demanded compensation from greece
3) LON agreed, greece obeyed and Italy withdrew
Why was there a dispute for vilna?
1) The capital of new Lituania.
2) Most were polish
3) poland seized vilna 1919
How did the LON not solve the Vilna dispute?
Poland didn’t retreat when told by LON, nothing was done to stop military aggression
Why was there a dispute for the Ruhr?
Industrial region of Germany, invaded by france when reparations weren’t being paid
How did the LON not solve the Ruhr dispute?
French continued to ship products as LON didn’t intervene. Although USA helped resolve in Dawes plan
