The League Of Nations

Question 1

The economic depression

Answer 1

In the late 1920s international trade prospered. The USA was the world’s richest nation and was a market for other countries to export to. In 1929 disaster struck. The wall street crash in the USA started a long depression that quickly caused economic problems.

Question 2

The economic depression: the 1930s

Answer 2

As a result of the depression, much of the goodwill of the 1920s evporated:
-As Us loans dried up, many countries were bunkrupt -> unemployment
- some countries tried to protect their own industries py putting tarifs on imports. But this just meant trading partners did the same thing -> trade got worst
- many countries started to rearm trying to get industries working and give jobs. These armies caused alarm and tension

Question 3

The Manchuria crisis: Invasion 1, 1931

Answer 3

In 1931, an incident in Manchuria gave them an ideal opportunity. The Japanese army controlled the south Manchrian railway. When chinese troops allegedly attacked the railway, the Japanese armed forces used this as an excuse to invade and set up a governemnt in Manchuria, which they controlled. Japan was now in charge

Question 4

The manchuria crisis: China appeals

Answer 4

China appealed to the league. The japanese argued that China was in such a state of anarchy that they had to invade in self-defence to keep peace in the area.

Question 5

The manchuria crisis: the league investigates

Answer 5

The league took a year to think about this problem. After taking matters into acount the filed a reoport that said that what Japan had acted unlawfully. Manchuria should be returned to the chinese

Question 6

The manchuria crisis: Invasion 2, 1933

Answer 6

However, in february 1933, instead of withdrawing from Manchuria the Japanese announced that they intended to invade mor of China. They still said it was necessary self-defense. When this report was files Japan did not agree and resigned from the league. The next week it invaded Jehol

Question 7

The manchuria crisis: The league responds

Answer 7

The league was powerless. It discussed economic sanctions, but without the USA, Japan’s main trading partner, they would be meaningless. Britain seemed to be more interested in having a good relationship with Japan than in sanctions, the league also thought about banning arms sales to japan but the member countries could not agree to that. Britain and france did not want to risk their armies against Japan. Only the US and USSR could’ve and they werent members.

Question 8

The manchuria crisis: consequences

Answer 8

Excuses for the failures: it was too far waya, it was a special case, japan did have a point. However it was still obvious that the league was now powerless. Japan had commited agression and got away with it. Back in Europe, Hitler and Mussolini looked on with interest.

Question 9

Abyssinia crisis: origin

Answer 9

In 1896 Italy had tried to invade Abyssinia but failed. Mussolini wanted revenge for this humiliating defeat. He was also interested in the fertile land and mineral welath of abyssinia . He wanted glory and conquest aswell as military victories

Question 10

Similarities and differneces of Manchuria and Abyssinia

Answer 10

• Like Japan, Italy was a leading member of the league
• They both wanted to expand their empires
• Unlike manchuria, this dispute was on the league’s doorstep, Italy was a European power. Unlike the event in Abyssinia, the league could not claim this problem was inaccesible

Question 11

Abyssinia crisis: What happened Deecember 1934 at the Wal-Wal oasis?

Answer 11

There was a dispute between Italian and Abyssinian soldiers at the Wal-wal oasis. Mussolini took this as his cue and claimed this was actually Italian territory. He demanded and apology and began peparing Italy for the invasion of Abyssinia. Abyssinian emperor asked the league for help

Question 12

Abyssinia crisis: the league plays for time. What happened between January and October 1935

Answer 12

Mussolini was supposedly negotiating with the league to settle the dispute. However at the time he was shipping his army to africa and and whipping up war fever among the Italian people. The British and French people didn’t take this seriously. They played for time, they wanted to keep good relations with Mussolini as it was its strongest ally against Germany, Hitler.

Question 13

Abyssinia crisis: what was the Stresa Front of 1935 and why did it encourage mussolini to think that he couldd invade Abyssinia

Answer 13

It was an agreement with Mussolini which was a formal statement against Germany rearming and commitment to stand against germany. At the meeting to discuss this Abyssinia wasn’t even mentioned. Historians suggest that Mussolini beleived that Britain and France had promised ro blind eye to his exploits in Abyssinia in return for joining the pact. This encouraged his invasion of Abyssinia

Question 14

The abyssinian crisis: what was the attitued of the public in Britain?

Answer 14

There was a public outcry against Italy. The majority of British people supported the use of military force to defend Abyssinia if necessary. The British politicians started to get rough, and the British foreign minister made a grand speech about collective security in an assembly of the League. There was talking and negotiating yet no action

Question 15

The abyssinian crisis: What were the league’s findings about the Wal-Wal incident?

Answer 15

On september 4th, after eight months of deliberation, a comitee responded to the league that neither side should be held responsible for the Wal-Wal incident. The plan put forward by the league about mussolini giving them a part of Abyssinia was rejected by mussolini

Question 16

The abyssinian crisis: when did mussolini invade abyssinia and what was the result

Answer 16

In october 1935 Mussolini launched a full-scale invasion of Abyssinia. Besides the efforts, Abyssinia could not winnthe modern italian equipped with tanks, aeroplanes etc

Question 17

The abyssinian crisis: why was the invasion concluded so quickly

Answer 17

Because it was a large-scale powerful state attacking a smaller one

Question 18

The abyssinian crisis: what sanctions did the league impose on Italy

Answer 18

A committe was immediately imposed to agree on sanctions, the league banned
- loans to Italy
- Imports to Italy
- export of rubber to Italy aswell as tin and metals

Question 19

The abyssinian crisis: what trading items did the league fail to ban and why

Answer 19

The league delayed a decisison as it was not sure if it should ban oil exports, it feared the Americans would not support the sanctions. And feared its members economic interests would be damaged. Many jobs would be lost, therefore they ended up not banning oil

Question 20

The abyssinian crisis: why did the suez canal remain open to Italy

Answer 20

The suez canal, owned by Britain and France, was not closed to Mussolini’s supply ships. The canal was the Italian’s main supply route to Abyssinia and closing it would have ended everything very easily. But they didn’t as they were scared it would cause war with Italy. This was fatal

Question 21

The abyssinian crisis: what was the Hoare-Laval pact and what happened after its collapse

Answer 21

This aimed to give Mussolini two-thirds of Abyssinia in return for his calling off his invasion. France proposed to show it to Italy before the league and told the British that if they didn’t agree with the plan they wouldn’t support sanctions against Italy. However the plan was leaked by the press and proved disastrous for the league. Hoare and Laval were sacked and there was strong damage made to sanction discussions

Question 22

The abyssinian crisis: what happened to Abyssinia

Answer 22

The question about banning oil was further delayed and when they finally made a decision, it was too late, mussolini had already taken over large part of Abyssinia and the American even sent more oil to Italy for fussing

Question 23

Why did the league of nations fail in the 1930s?: self-interest of leading members

Answer 23

• In manchuria:
  -Briatin didn’t want to loose trading hubs in Asia, Singapore and Hong Kong
• French didn’t wasn to send troops as it would threaten position against Germany, this increased global pressure for disarmament
• In Abyssinia:
• Stresa pact -> Abyssinia not mentioned
• lack of oil sanctions
• The suez canal

Question 24

Why did the league of nations fail in the 1930s?: economic sanctions did not work

Answer 24

• Manchuria:
• Lack of economic sanctions (depression) as Japan would trade with USA
• Abyssinia
• Lack of oil sanctions as it would trade oil with USA
• Sanctions of coal cost 30,000 miners jobs so Britain didn’t want more unemployment

Question 25

Why did the league of nations fail in the 1930s?: the decisions it had to uphold were seen as unfair

Answer 25

• Manchuria
• Didn’t help because it was too far way -> justification for no military action
• The league was Eurocentric
• Abyssinia
• Hid Hoare-Laval pact -> lost trust
• Italian use of gas, airforce, navy etc -> banned by disarment
• Suez canal not closed
• Stresa pact

Question 26

Why did the league of nations fail in the 1930s?: Decisions were slow

Answer 26

• Manchuria:
• Lack of economic sanctions
• Didn’t act upon Manchuria as it was ‘too far away’
• Abyssinia:
• Lack of oil sanctions, when they finally decided on wheteher to impose oil sanctions it was too late, and America even sent more oil to Italy for the fussing

Question 27

Why did the league of nations fail in the 1930s?: lack of troops

Answer 27

The lague had no troops of its own
- Abyssinia
- League didn’t want to stop Mussolini but also didn’t have the power to as they didn’t have an army of their own -> members wouldn’t use own army
- Abyssinia
- France didn’t want to send troops -> it wpuld weaken them against Abyssinia
- Strong armies/countries beat the League (Manchuria and Abyssinia)

Question 28

Why did the league of nations fail in the 1930s?: The USA and other leading countries were absent

Answer 28

• Manchuria
• Japan left the League -> last power house in Asia
• Proved importance of absent members -> as US + USSR had lots of strengths + strategic location to stop Japan
• Abyssinia
• The members stopped trusting eachother + absent members the league became practically powerless
• Both
  -USA absent -> no economic, oil sanctions or at least not string sanctions
• Oil and troops -> absent
• The league was US idea -> wilson

Question 29

Why did disarmament fail in the 1930s? Disarmament conference

Answer 29

After the Manchruria crisis, members of the league realised the urgency pf the problem. In 1932 the disarmament conference took place. By July 1932 it had produced resolutions to prohibit bombing of civilian populations, limit the size of artillery, limit the tonnage of banks, and prohibit chemical warfare. But there weren’t many resolutions on how to actually ahieve these things

Question 30

Why did disarmament fail in the 1930s? German disarmament

Answer 30

The Germans had been in the league for six years. Most people accopted that they whould now be treated more equally that under the TofV. The question was whetheer everyone should disarm in the way Germany had been force to or if Germany shoul rearm to the level everyone else was. The 1920s showed that the first option was a non-starter. But there was reluctance in the league choosing the second option

Question 31

Why did disarmament fail in the 1930s? Reasons for failure

Answer 31

The conference failed for a number of reasons
- Britain and france were divided on this issue. By 1933 many British people thpught the TofV was unfair. In fact, the British signed an agreement in 1935 with Germany that allowed it to build up it s navy as long as it stayed under 35% of size of the British navy. Britain did not consult this to any allies or members of the league.