The League Of Nations Flashcards
What were the aims of the League?
- get countries to collaborate to help to prevent war (collective security)
- encourage disarmament
- improve living and working conditions
- tackle deadly diseases
How was the League formed?
- it was one of Wilson’s 14 points.
- It written into each treaty signed at the end of the war to gain the respect it needed to be recognised.
- Initially 42 countries joined as Germany and Russia were not allowed to join (Germany because they lost the war and Russia due to the fact they were communists).
- over time Germany joined due to agreeing to the Locarno treaty in 1925.
- Russia were allowed to join in 1934.
- there were now 58 member states who each sent representatives to the assembly.
How the league worked?
- four powerful countries were permanent members - Britain, France, Italy and japan.
- they would deal with aggression through covenant, mitigation, moral condemnation, economic sanctions and military force.
- these sanctions are very intimidating from power countries.
Did the league have a standing army?
No - it relied on countries in the league supplying an army, this proved to be a big problem for the league when trying to solve problems in the future.
Britains thoughts on the league?
- they supported it
- but thought that action would be limited
Frances views on the league?
- thought the league would help keep them safe from a German attack.
The permanent Court of International Justice?
- a law court that could give advice and hearings to parties in the argument, but rulings were not compulsory so could easily be ignored.
What was the assemble in the League of Nations?
- It was an international parliament.
- each member of state would send a representative to meet once a year.
- they would vote on issues and decisions had to be unanimous.
What was the council in the League of Nations?
- met more frequently than the assembly.
- made up of four permanent member, who were Britain, japan, France and Italy. Plus four others who were elected in for three years.
- The council could veto rulings made by the assembly.
What was the secretariat in the League of Nations?
- someone who was in charge of administration and arranging any action that the league wanted to take.
What were the special commissions in the League of Nations?
- special groups formed to tackle specific issues, such as the international labour organisation (ILO) and the health organisation.
Discuss the International Labour Organisation?
- their aim was to improve working conditions.
- positives - in 1920s, death rate of workers on Tanganyika railway reduced from over 50% to 4%.
- negatives - in 1919, most members refused to stop children working under the age of 14 as it was deemed to expensive.
Discuss the Commission for Refrugees?
- their aim was to help people who were homeless due to the war by improving refugee camps, helping them return to home or finding them new ones.
- positives - helped free around 427000 of the 500000 prisoners of war still imprisoned after the first world war.
- negatives - during the 1930s failed to help Jews flee from nazi Germany.
Discuss the slavery comission?
- their aim was to end slavery.
- during 1920s, the league set free 200000 slaves from sierra leonne.
Discuss the economic and financial committee?
- their aim was to improve living conditions.
- positives - sent financial advisers to Austria and Hungary to rebuild their economies when they went bankrupt in 1921.
- negatives - unable to cope with global depression after 1929.