The League of Nations Flashcards
1
Q
Aims of the league
A
- improve living and working conditions
- prevent war
- encourage disarmament
- enforce the Treaty of Versailles
- settle disputes
2
Q
Covenant of the League (rules)
A
- collective security
- disputes referred to the league before fighting
- details of alliances given to league
- could impose economic sanctions
- could call upon members to take military measures
- members undertook work focusing on aims
3
Q
Features of the Assembly
A
- every member country represented
- met once a year
- 1 vote per country, votes unanimous
- elected the council, admitted new members, decided budget, might discuss diputes
- little power
4
Q
Features of the Council
A
- five permeant members
- 4 non permeant members for 3 years at a time
- met 3 times a year or whenever was necessary
- dealt with emergencies
- needed unanimity
5
Q
Features of the Secretariat
A
- civil servants in Geneva
- Kept records, prepared reports, provided information, and dealt with publicity and communications
6
Q
What were the Committees?
A
Set up to deal with specific problems
- tackled womens rights, drug smuggling, refugee problems, slavery
7
Q
How did the league help refugees?
A
- provided with passports to return home
- set up camps
- stopped spread of disease in camps
- helped 400,000 prisoners of war (ww1)
- helped Greeks fleeing Smyrna
8
Q
Features of the Permeant Court of Justice
A
- 15 judges elected by Assembly and Council every 9 years
- interpreted treaties and conventions
- gave verdicts on disputes
- members not bound to use it
- no way of enforcing decisions, moral value only
9
Q
Features of the Mandates Commission
A
- responsible for all former German and Turkish colonies
- gave annual reports on progress
- categorised territories by how ready they were for independence
- provided education and political/economic advancement
- mostly mandated by Britain and France
10
Q
Features of the International Labour Organisation
A
- contained representatives of all governments, employers, and workers
- aimed to secure better working conditions
- introduced 8 hour working day
- 77 countries agreed to set a minimum wage in 1928
- campaigned for the removal of white lead paint in the workplace
11
Q
Features of the Disarmament Commission
A
- prepared proposals for the limitation of arms
- attempted to decide a quota for each country
- failed after Germany tried to rearm
12
Q
How did the League help slaves?
A
- set up the slavery commission
- 200,000 freed in Sierra Leone
- convinced most of the world to eradicate slavery
- 1926 Slavery Convention signed by 40 countries
- no official checking of this
13
Q
Weaknesses of the League
A
- USA was not present
- European club (3/4 of council)
- rejected Argentinian proposal of more democratic election
- rejected Japanese proposal of anti racial discrimination
- Differing attitudes from GB and France
- Geneva protocol (1924) defeated
14
Q
What happened in Teshen in 1919?
A
- disputed between Poland and Czechosolvakia
- League ruled on a split
- fighting continued for 20 years
- failure
15
Q
What happened in Vilna in 1919?
A
- was the former capital of Lithuania with a large Polish population
- claimed by Lithuania
- seized by Polish army
- Lithuania appealed but Poles did not leave
- failure
16
Q
What happened in Upper Silesia in 1921?
A
- disputed by Germany and Poland
- plebiscite held with a close vote
- fighting followed
- league declared a split that was accepted by both
- success
17
Q
What happened to the Aaland Island in 1921?
A
- owned by Finland but disputed by Sweden
- league said they should remain with Finland
- accepted
- success
18
Q
What happened in Corfu in 1923?
A
- Italian officers shot when marking Greek border with Albania
- Mussolini blamed Greece and demanded compensation
- Greece appealed but Mussolini bombed Corfu
- Greece forced to pay
- failure
19
Q
What happened in Greece and Bulgaria in 1925?
A
- boarder dispute led to Greek invasion of Bulgaria
- Bulgaria appealed to League
- League ordered end to fighting and Greece withdrew
- Greece fined £45000
- success
20
Q
What happened at the Washington Conference in 1921?
A
- major naval powers agreed to reduce warships
- ratios for fleets settled
- agreed to build any new battleships or cruisers for 10 years
21
Q
What happened to the Geneva protocol?
A
- said disputes had to be taken to the league
- new GB government opposed idea
- other countries did not support
- idea dropped
22
Q
What was the Dawes plan?
A
- Germany agreed to continue paying reparations and halt passive resistance in the Ruhr
- new currency was introduced
- German reparations payments reduced
- US gave loans to Germany
23
Q
What were the Locarno Treaties of 1925?
A
- new approach after failed French occupation of the Ruhr
- France, Belgium, and Germany agreed to respect the boarder around them as set by Versailles
- GB and Italy acted as guarantors
- France would support Czechoslovakia and Poland if attacked
- partially undermined Versailles
- Germany joined the League
24
Q
What was the Kellogg-Briand pact
A
- 65 nations agreed to not resort to war
- no means of enforcement
- described as high sounding nothing
25
What was the Young Plan?
- replaced the Dawes plan
- reduced reparations to £2 million over 58 years
- never put into practise because of the Great Depression
26
When was the Wall street crash?
October 1929
27
What caused the Wall Street Crash?
overpriced shares and overproduction
28
What was the Great Depression
prices and size of workforce reduced, economic slump
29
What were the worldwide effects of the Great Depression?
- lack of trade/tariffs
- recalled US loans
- no demand for goods (from America)
- militarism to fight unemployment
- isolationism
30
What were the effects of the Great Depression on Germany?
- US loans recalled ruining economy
- unemployment
- support for extreme parties
- rise of Hitler
31
Why did Japan want to invade Manchuria?
- needed resources due to loss in the Great Depression
- needed to support a growing population
- wanted an empire like the British/growing nationalism
- Japan already had assets in Manchuria
- China was weak from a civil war
32
How did the Japanese invade Manchuria?
- blew up the Japanese owned railway in Manchuria
- blamed it on a Chinese attack
- Japan used this as an excuse to invade
- China appealed and League condemned
- Japan agreed but army refused to withdraw
33
