the failure of the League of Nations and the other efforts of collective security Flashcards
Founding the League of Nations to promote world peace
peacemakers -> create security in EU by weakening Germany
created new states in the Baltics + Eastern Europe -> keep in check Russian ideas for expansion
League of Nations -> peacekeeping body
chief aims -> promote:
1. world peace
2. social + economic well-being of its member states
progress -> settling disputes among small countries + limitations of armaments
effectiveness of founding the League of Nations to promote world peace
not very effective
1. Germany + Russia (2 major powers) excluded
2. US (also major power) refused to join + resumed isolationist policy
lack support + military backing of these major power -> league achieve little
collective security
idea that all nations would protect one another against a common aggressor
since PPC -> different methods to establish collective security -> using League of Nations to:
1. mediate + impose sanctions
2, ratify (give consent to) international conventions
3. convene disarmament conferences
-» unite international forces in order to prevent any future wars
how did the League of Nations begin?
death + destruction from WW1 -> people look for new way to keep world peace
US president Wilson propose international organisation -> League of Nations -> solve disputes among countries in a peaceful way
if 2 members in conflict -> League decide who’s in the wrong + enforce decision
under collective security -> disarmament conferences -> signing of different treaties
the setting up of the League
end of WW1 -> US president Wilson presented “14 points” -> create better world after the war
in 14 points -> set up permanent League of Nations -> ensure world peace + security -> proposal adopted at PPC, 1919 -> established with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland
the aims of the League
- keep world peace by dealing with disputes among nations
- safeguard the independence of countries + their new borders
- encourage nations to reduce their armaments
- improve living and working conditions for all people
organisation of the League
assembly -> 24 original member states -> member sent reps + had one vote
met at least once a year:
1. discuss any matter raised by a member
2. fix the Leagues budget
3. admit new members
4. elect non-permanent members to council
important decisions -> unanimous vote
assembly governed by council -> most important body of the League
Council’s permanent members:
1. Britain
2. France
3. Italy
4. Japan
+ 4 (later 7) non-permanent members
met on average 5 times to deal with emergencies
actions to be taken -> all nations had to agree -> every member could reject or forbid any action taken by council
international court of justice was set up in 1921 at Hague, the Netherlands
15 judges made decision on dispute settlements among countries -> only at the countries request
secretariat -> league’s civil service + took care of all administration, such as
1. preparing reports
2. keeping records
3. translating documents
many special committees set up to investigate matters concerning labour + refugees + health
what did the League of Nations assembly discuss
met at least once a year:
1. discuss any matter raised by a member
2. fix the Leagues budget
3. admit new members
4. elect non-permanent members to council
the League of Nation’s council
permanent members:
1. Britain
2. France
3. Italy
4. Japan
4 (later 7) non-permanent members
international court of justice
international court of justice was set up in 1921 at Hague, the Netherlands
15 judges made decision on dispute settlements among countries -> only at the countries request
the role of secretariat in the League of Nations
secretariat -> league’s civil service + took care of all administration, such as
1. preparing reports
2. keeping records
3. translating documents
when was the international court of justice held
1921
the powers of the league
Wilson wanted to make the League more effective in settling international disputes
1. Moral condemnation
condemn actions of an offending country + tell her to stop
2. Economic Sanctions
could tell other countries not to trade with the offending country
3. Military force
(last resort) League could use the military force of member countries
Strengths of the League
- 44 nations (including Britain, France, Italy and Japan) joined as members
- members wanted to cooperate and prevent wars
- league had some powerful weapons -> especially use of economic sanctions
way of keeping peace -> league was a step forward from the alliance systems
-» first international organisation forward by national all over the world to keep peace
weakness of the League
- US refused to join league
- other countries (germany + USSR) joined the league for only short time periods
USSR -> 1934 (communism)
Germany -> 1926 (threatened EU peace) - no US, USSR, Germany at first -> League began as a tiger without teeth
- no military force of its own -> did not have powers to enforce its decision + independent army to punish/stop aggressive nations -> rely on strength of more powerful members etc. Britain + France
- unanimous votes needed in Council and Assembly -> difficult for all members to reach unanimous vote -> obstacle
US refusal of joining the League
Americans were wary of being involved in world affairs -> feared they might be forced for the Europeans if they joined -> wanted to return to traditional isolation -> American Senate rejected the proposal to join the League -> could not carry out its decisions effectively
etc. economic sanctions against an aggressive nation could not be successful if the Americans continued to trade with the nation concerned
achievements of the League
League of Nations able to settle a number of disputes between small nations in the 1920s
1. Sweden vs Finland over small nearby islands
2. Poland vs Germany + Yugoslavia vs Albania boundary problems
3. stop Greece attack Bulgaria
-> imposing economic sanctions
League -> important attempt at international collective security
-> first international body formed by nations all over the world -> keep peace
special commissions + agencies -> helped solve economic + social problems
League helped the refugees from WW1 rebuild houses + provided assistance in:
1. protection of Ethnic minorities
2. issues on drugs + education
what disputes was the League able to settle between small nations in the 1920s
League of Nations able to settle a number of disputes between small nations in the 1920s
1. Sweden vs Finland over small nearby islands
2. Poland vs Germany + Yugoslavia vs Albania boundary problems
3. stop Greece attack Bulgaria
-> imposing economic sanctions
the failures of the League
unable to stop aggressive actions of several powerful countries
-> aggressive nations ignores/withdrew from the League whenever interests were affected
1939 -> League was so weak nations no longer trusted it
further attempts at international cooperation
- The Locarno Treaties, 1925
- The Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928
Locarno Treaties
1925
Reps of Britain, France, Italy, Belgium + Germany -> Locarno in Switzerland -> discuss ways of preserving peace in Europe
agree to settle disputes by peaceful means
France Germany Belgium agree to respect borders between them + promise not to go to war with each other
-» Franco-German relationships improved
agreements did not provide a solution to German grievances -> Germany still wanted to revise the Treaty of Versailles
Locarno Treaties year
1925
The Kellogg-Briand Pact
1928
Briand (French Foreign Minister) suggested to the US secretary of State Kellogg -> France + US should jointly renounce war as a means of settling international disputes
Kellogg feared seen as an alliance with France -> proposed other nations should sign the pact -> 65 nations (including Germany, Japan, Italy, Soviet Union + Britain) signed pact
Agree to condemn war as the way to solve international disputes and re announced it in their relations with one another
pact had 2 fatal weaknesses:
1. no way to reinforce pact
2. did not stop signatories from using force in their defence
every country has different interpretation of “self defence” -> excuse to start war
pact -> meaningless
the weaknesses of the kellogg-Briand pact
pact had 2 fatal weaknesses:
1. no way to reinforce pact
2. did not stop signatories from using force in their defence
every country has different interpretation of “self defence” -> excuse to start war
kellogg-Briand pact year
1928
Attempts at disarmament
after war -> great powers made a number of efforts to:
1. reduce + limit stocks of weapons
2. recruitment of armed forces
- Washington Conference, 1921-22
- London Naval Conference, 1930
- Geneva Conference, 1932-34
Washington Conference date
1921-22
The Washington Conference
- US
- Britain
- Italy
- Japan
- France
-» Five-Power treaty
agree to limit construction of capital ships -> achieved some success in checking the growth of naval competition among major powers
BUT
1. no limitations imposed on construction of other types of warships (submarines, cruisers)
2. did not:
reduce size or armies
limit manufacturing of weapons
3. no effective force to ensure that agreement was observed by the powers
London Naval Conference date
1930
The London Naval Conference
1930
attempts were made to reduce growth of naval armaments at the London Naval Conference in 1930
London Naval Treaty -> limit the ratio of cruisers between Britain, Japan, France, US ->
mutual distrust of naval powers -> special clauses in agreement -> allow powers to increase number of battleships if one of them did not observe the agreed limits
The Geneva Conference date
1932-34
The Geneva Conference
organised by League of Nations -> sixty-one nations sent representatives to attend conference
aim -> general disarmament
1. naval disarmament
2. reduction in land forces
3. limits on weapons
failure -> not all great powers agreed to disarm
result of attempts to solve major problems through international cooperation + goodwill
all attempts to solve major problems through international cooperation + goodwill -> failure in 1920s and 30s
league of nations -> could not settle international disputes effectively
international treaties in 1920s -> failed to ensure world peace
failure of disarmament conferences -> collective security had collapsed
-» war
Conclusions at attempts to collective security
purpose of League -> maintain world peace by preventing aggressive actions
1. US (the most powerful country in the world ) refused to join
2. League’s weakness
-> unable to fulfill purpose
1930s -> League disapprove of their aggressive actions -> Germany + Japan withdrew from League
1. different nations many conferences + agreements -> settling international disputes + reducing arms -> can not prevent a country from starting wars in the name of “self-defence”
2. no country truly willing to disarm
-> collective security failed
1930s ->
1. Italy continued to invade other nations + form alliance with Germany (rearmed and expanding)
2. Japan invading China
-» WW2
