The collapse of the League Flashcards
6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6.
by 1933, how many American’s were unemployed?
around 15 million
how did the Great Depression affect the League of Nations?
- Hitler & Mussolini were not afraid to use violence to get what they wanted
- the League had to have an army to fight aggressive dictators
- the League would have to ask its members to fight but countries did not want the expense of a war
- the only sanctions the League could impose were economic
- in a time of economic crisis, countries were not willing to stop trading with other countries- this would create more unemployment and hurt their own people
when did the Manchurian crisis occur?
September 1931
where is Manchuria?
a region of China on the North-Eastern coast
what was so important about the area of Manchuria?
- rich in natural resources
- coal & iron ore
- fertile farmland
- industry
why did Japan want Manchuria?
- Japan was suffering in the Great Depression
- much of its economy was based on exporting silk to rich countries like the USA
- silk- luxury item- people cut back on luxuries when their families were starving
by 1932 how much was silk in Japan worth?
1/5 of what it had been sold for in the early 1920s
why did Manchuria seem like a good place to invade?
- geographically close to Japan
- Japanese army was strong
the Japanese generals killed the warlord in Manchuria in what year?
1928
what happened on 18th September 1931?
there was an explosion on the South Manchurian Railway
in what year did the Japanese army murder its prime minister?
1932
what date exactly was the Manchuria crisis?
18th September 1931
what did the Japanese army claim about the explosion on the South Manchurian Railway?
the train had been attacked by Chinese soldiers who had also shot at the railway guards
how did the Chinese respond to these claims?
they denied it & said their soldiers had been asleep at the time
what were the Japanese army called?
Kwantung army
in 1932 what did Japan rename Manchuria as?
Manchukuo
who did the Japanese put as the ruler of Manchukuo?
Pu YI- an ex- Chinese emperor who had been thrown out of power in 1911- in charge as a puppet ruler- this meant Japan could control him
why were Britain and France reluctant to act upon the Manchuria crisis?
- China and Japan were far removed from the League’s headquarters in Switzerland
- Britain & France felt that the incident was too far away to be any real concern
why were the League reluctant to act upon the Manchuria crisis: (confusion) ?
- Japan was a powerful member of the League- Japan claimed China had attacked them first- there was lots of confusion about the attack and people believed Japan due to them being powerful and not wanting to get involved
why were the League reluctant to act upon the Manchuria crisis: (Chinese politics)?
- China’s politics were disorganised
- many members of the League felt it was a good thing that Japan was trying to introduce order in the region
why was there little the League could do once they issued Japan a moral condemnation?
- members of the League could not afford to send troops so far away to fight someone else’s battles
- the League could issue Japan economic sanctions so that members would stop trading with Japan but Japan’s main trader was the USA- not a member of the League
who was the Commission of Inquiry led by?
a British politician called Lord Lytton
when was the Lytton report published?
October 1932
what did Japan do in regards to the League?
they left it
what happened in February 1933?
the Japanese invaded Jehol- another Chinese region
what happened in 1937?
Japan invaded the rest of China
by what year were most major Chinese cities controlled by the Japanese army?
1938
what year did Mussolini gain power?
1922
what year did Mussolini invade Abyssinia?
1935
what is Abyssinia called today?
Ethiopia
why did Mussolini want Abyssinia?
- he thought the invasion would be easy- Italy already owned small colonies bordering such as Eritrea & Somaliland- could build bases in these countries & launch his attack from there
- Abyssinia was rich in natural resources and had good land for grazing animals- good for the Italian economy
- he believed the League would not do anything as the Corfu crisis in 1923 did not have severe repercussions
in what year was the Stresa Front signed?
1935
what was the Stresa Front?
an agreement made between Italy, France and Britain- they would unite against Hitler
what happened in December 1934?
Italian soldiers clashed with Abyssianians at Wal Wal- an oasis on the border between Abyssinia and Somaliland
how many Abyssinians were killed at Wal Wal?
150
how many Italian soldiers were killed at Wal Walk?
2
what happened in January 1935?
the French foreign minister- Pierre Laval met with Mussolini and made a number of secret agreements
what were some of the agreements Laval made with Mussolini?
- France promised Italy not to interfere in Somaliland and Eritrea
- gave Italy land in Chas
- Laval promised to let Mussolini deal with Abyssinia however he saw fit
what date did Mussolini’s troops enter Abyssinia on?
3rd October 1935
what did the Italians use to invade and hurt the people of Abyssinia?
- the latest technology
- bombed the tribal villages of Abyssinia
- used chemical weapons
who was the Abyssinian emperor?
Haile Selassie
what date did Haile Selassie address the League?
30th June 1935
what date did Mussolini take the Abyssinian capital?
5th May 1936
what was the Abyssinian capital called?
Addis Ababa
why did the League fail in Abyssinia: (failure to close the Suez Canal)?
- was built to connect the Mediterranean and the Red Sea
- owned by the British & the French- they could travel to Eastern Africa/ Asia without having to go all the way around the Cape of Africa
- they could have closed the Canal to stop Mussolini moving troops & supplies to invade Abyssinia but they did not as they wanted to avoid upsetting Mussolini
- they were worried Mussolini would unite with Hitler so they tried to keep him on their side
why did the League fail in Abyssinia: the Hoare-Laval Pact?
- Britain (Pierre Laval) & France (Samuel Hoare)- came up with a settlement to offer Italy
- December 1935- met in secret & agreed Italy would be given areas in Abyssinia
- Abyssinia would be reduced to 1/2 its size- the land it would keep would be mainly mountainous regions- Italy would gain the fertile lands
- the land was not theirs to give & they did not discuss it with Italy or Abyssinia
- it proved Britain & France were willing to undermine the League for their own good
why did the League fail in Abyssinia: trade sanctions against Abyssinia?
- League banned members from selling arms to Abyssinia as well as to Italy
- Abyssinia were left with nothing to defend itself against Mussolini’s modern army
in what year did Italy leave the League of Nations?
May 1936
