The League of Nations and International Peace Flashcards

Question

what was the secretariat and what did it do?

Answer 1

- kept records of meetings and prepared reports - many of its staff were linguists - english and french main languages used - very under-staffed

Answer 2

- based at the Hague in the Netherlands - intended to help settle disputes peacefully - decisions made by judges from the member countries - had no way of enforcing its rulings

Answer 3

they were bodies set up to deal with some of the world's major problems

Answer 4

- provided a forum for discussion and decision-making - each country was represented - democratic system - based in neutral territory

Answer 5

- not a permanent body + only meets once a year (what if something happens?) = assembly is sidelined - hard to make decisions because of the veto (allies within allies) - lacked enforcement power

Answer 6

- got more done perhaps? because there were less people so they could agree easier? - the burden of the league would have sat with them so it makes sense that these countries deserve more say - provided a platform for international co-operation and and dispute resolution

Answer 7

- power imbalance - main powers (ignores smaller countries?) - self-interest - victors only - excludes people - lack of enforcement power - inability to prevent aggressive actions by member states - veto - if one of the members became the aggressor, they can veto action against them

Answer 8

under-staffed - won't work properly

Answer 9

efficient in carrying out administrative tasks - left a paper trail - organisation is necessary to take action

Answer 10

provided a forum for peaceful resolution of disputes - this is the aim of the league

Answer 11

lack of enforcement power - pointless - would have to then bring it up at council/assembly - then a veto is possible

Answer 12

H: a hearing by an impartial, neutral county I: an inquiry by the Council of the LoN R: a ruling by the International Court of Justice

Answer 13

M: moral persuasion; the league could put pressure on the offending country by lining up world opinion against it E: economic sanctions; members of the league could refuse to trade with the offending country M: military force; the armed forces of member countries could be joined together and used against the offending country

Answer 14

- all league countries could feel supported - use a scaling system - HIR tries to nip it in the bud - solve it before it escalates - moral persuasion could work - economic sanctions could work by ruining the economy so the country can't invade

Answer 15

- economic sanctions only work if everyone participates, but stopping trade will hurt yourself (self-interest) - not all countries are in the league so it is hard to enforce anything eg economic sanctions - moral persuasion could only work if the offending country is moral - military force relies mainly on GB and Fr again a) what if they are the aggressor, b) they won't want to offer up their armies (self-interest), c) what about disarmament? - military force could escalate rather than de-escalate and worsen tensions

Answer 16

- when it was set up, there was almost universal good will to it from ordinary people and from most governments - people genuinely wanted to prevent a war land most believed this goal was achievable - most of the world's leading nations joined, and the defeated countries were allowed to join later on - by the 30s, they had 59 members and every member had signed the covenant - by the 20s, technological developments (eg international air travel, telephone) suggested it would be easier for countries to act together - promoted disarmament - resolved minor disputes - provided humanitarian aid - commissions made some valuable impacts on global issues

Answer 17

- relied heavily on good will and persuasion - very little real power and no permanent army - a number of important nations were missing at various points: USA, germany, japan, Italy, USSR - these absences greatly weakened the LoN - countries made treaties and alliances outside of the league - undermined collective security - general disarmament still a hope not a reality eg Disarmament Conference (1932-4) tried without success to find a way forward - wartime resentment and anger persisted - the very treaties that created the LoN also created the resentment that later destroyed it - countries still suspicious of each other and traditional rivalries remained

Answer 18

Vilna 1920, Upper Silesia 1921, Aaland Islands 1921, Corfu 1923, Bulgaria 1925

Answer 19

- after WWI countries that had belonged to Austro-Hungarian empire given independence - lots of new countries created incl. Lithuania and Poland - Vilna was to be the capital of Lithuania but the majority of people living there wanted to be Polish - a Polish army took control of the city and Lithuania asked the LoN for help - Poland was acting in violation of the LoN's values but had a valid point - LoN protested to Poland and told them to remove its army but was refused. - according to the covenant, at this point, the LoN could have intervened further, but France saw Poland as a potential long-term ally against Germany and Britain was not willing to send troops without the support of other countries - the first time the LoN was asked to settle a dispute, they did nothing, and Poland took Vilna

Answer 20

failure: the covenant set out by the league was not used and article 10 was ignored in favour of self-interest. this set a precedent for the rest of the league's actions in later years; the league only really intervened when it benefitted them

Answer 21

- industrial region on border of Germany and Poland - at end of WWI, both Germans and Poles lived there - both nations wanted to claim the area as it was important to iron and steel production - 1921 plebiscite organised. britain and france sent troops to police voting stations and ensure the vote was fair and calm. germany won 60% of the total votes, but poland claimed that many of the people who voted for germany no longer lived in Upper Silesia - Poland complained and LoN decided to split Upper Silesia into regions according to how the people had voted. Germany received most of the rural areas, while Poland received the industrial zones - the outcome was accepted by both poland and germany and the LoN ensured the partition went smoothly by ensuring rail links, water and electricity still supplied to each side - final settlement considered unfair by the Poles and germans; Poles received ~1/2 the population but only 1/3 of the land and around 1/2million Poles now in confirmed German territory. germany had lost 3/4 of the coal mines they had owned prior to the settlement - 1922 german govt complained to league and was awarded right to import coal at a heavily discounted rate - when this agreement ended in 1925, relations between germany and poland worsened

Answer 22

germany won 60% of the total votes, but poland claimed that many of the people who voted for germany no longer lived in Upper Silesia

Answer 23

Poles received ~1/2 the population but only 1/3 of the land and~1/2million Poles now in confirmed German territory. Germany lost 3/4 of the coal mines they had owned prior to the settlement

Answer 24

- 1922 - was awarded right to import coal at a heavily discounted rate

Answer 25

initially a success - a temporary fix: both countries did accept the intial agreement but actually living by this proved difficult and increased tensions

Answer 26

- both sweden and finland wanted control of Aaland Islands which were midway between them - both countries were threatening war on each other the fight for them - they appealed to the league who investigated each countries' claim - the league said the islands should go to finland, providing it did not build forts on the island so it could be used as a base from which to attack sweden - sweden accepted the league's ruling and war was avoided

Answer 27

success - war was avoided, a clear order of process was used and both countries agreed to the deal and the deal did not break down

Answer 28

- post-WWI, boundaries of Greece and Albania still to be agreed upon - LoN gave job to Italian general Tellini but while he was surveying an area of Greece (27th August) he and his team were murdered - Mussolini was furious and blamed the Greek govt. 29th Aug demanded it pay compensation to Italy and execute the murderers - the greeks had no idea who the murderers were - 31st Aug Mussolini bombarded then invaded Corfu - 15 people killed - Greece appealed to LoN for help - situation similar to 1914 which had triggered WWI - Council already in session so league acted quickly - 7th Sep had prepared its judgement - condemned Mussolini's actions but also suggested Greece pay compensation but that money be held by the League so the money could be paid to Italy if and when Tellini's killers were found - officially, Mussolini accepted the League's decision but persuaded the Conference of Ambassadors to undermine the league and change its ruling - greeks forced to apologise and pay compensation directly to italy - 27th sept Mussolini withdrew his troops, boasting of his triumph

Answer 29

27th August 1923

Answer 30

29th August 1923

Answer 31

31st August 1923

Answer 32

7th September 1923

Answer 33

27th September 1923

Answer 34

failure - completely undermined the League's authority ⇒ if no one does as they say, whats the point? allowed for later arguments ie Bulgaria 1925, like treaty of Lausanne. showed that the LoN could be ignored and overturned by other international groups when a large country threatened a smaller with military action

Answer 35

- Oct 1925 border clash between Greek and Bulgarian troops - Greek troops invaded Bulgaria after an incident on the border where some Greek soldiers had been killed - Bulgaria appealed for help from the LoN but prepared its army too - LoN condemned the Greeks, ordered them to withdraw their troops and pay compensation to Bulgaria - Greece though LoN was being hypocritical as Mussolini got away with similar actions in 1923 - faced with the disapproval of the major powers in the League, and as a small country, didn't want to risk poor relations with them, so obeyed

Answer 36

mixture - whilst greece did obey, it heightened tensions between both Greece and Bulgaria and the rest of the League and highlighted the hypocritical self-interest rooted in the league which undermined most of its actions (there seemed to be one rule for some, and a different for others)

Answer 37

- 1929 american economy crashed and because of how much money it had lent during and after the war, global economy also destroyed - people lost faith in existing governments and turned to extremist parties and away from peace and democracy - Japan, Italy and Germany increasingly began to see war as an answer - league was powerless (no army to fight aggressive dictators and members didn't want the expense and responsibility of war, especially during the depression) to help people or control new party leaders, despite their aims being in direct opposition of the league's fundamental principles; they weren't interested in collective security nor scared by moral condemnation - the only sanctions the league could impose were economic; in times of economic crisis, countries weren't willing to stop trading with others as this would create more unemployment and hurt their own people

Answer 38

- at times when it was very much needed, the league had no power or strength; all of its aims were disregarded - economic crisis weakened countries' ability to support the league's efforts and prioritise international cooperation

Answer 39

- during WWI, the Allies created Supreme War Council (group that directed military effort) - at the end of WWI, the victorious powers chose to continue this organisation to discuss key issues between themselves and to have the ability to enforce peace treaties and mediate various territorial disputes among european states - members were ambassadors of britain, italy, japan, and the french minister of foreign affairs - ambassador of USA attended as an observer because they weren't an official party to the Tov

Answer 40

- it was another 'victor's club' which created more resentment - undermined the league's authority, like the external agreements - exclusion of smaller countries + USSR again

Answer 41

- lots of them established - positive actions

Answer 42

how do you solve a global issue? especially when the whole globe isn't even involved?

Answer 43

- International Labour Organisation - The Commission for Refugees - The Slavery Commission - The Health Committee - The Permanent Central Opium Board - The Economic and Financial Committee - The Organisation for Communications and Transport

Answer 44

to bring workers, employers and govts together to improve the conditions that people worked in

Answer 45

- 1922 - recommended banning the use of white lead paint as it was poisonous - 1928 - 77 countries agreed to set a minimum wage - 1930 - helped Greece set up social insurance - in Tanganyika, Africa, slave labour was being used to build a new railway but conditions were so bad that 50% of workers died; the league challenged this and reduced the death rate to 4%

Answer 46

- 1919 - tried to stop children <14 from working; this suggestion was not adopted by most members because they thought it would cost too much money - 1935 - suggested that the working day should be limited to 8 hours; when members voted on this, only 4 voted in favour, saying it would cost industries too much. Similarly, the suggestion that workers should be paid for their holidays was unpopular - one member said it would be 'industrial suicide'

Answer 47

to return PoW home and support refugees by improving camp conditions, finding new homes, or returning them to their own countries once the threat of conflict had passed

Answer 48

- 1917 - revolution led to civil war in Russia; by 1921, 1.5 million people had fled Russia to refugee camps and the LoN helped them find new homes - 1921 - helped free ~427,000 out of 500,000 PoW still imprisoned from WWI and returned them to their homelands - 1922 - Turkey clashed with Greece and the violence forced people to flee; LoN set up refugee camps and sent doctors to help treat diseases (cholera, smallpox). Homes were found for ~600,000 Greeks fleeing from Turkey from 1919-1923 - Created the Nansen Passport (document that could be used as ID by refugees)

Answer 49

1.5 million

Answer 50

~427,000 out of 500,000 PoW

Answer 51

1933 - LoN tried to appt a High Commissioner for refugees, who were mainly Jewish, fleeing from Germany. Germany rejected this proposal, so a unanimous vote couldn't be reached and the motion was defeated. The commissioner was appointed but as an independent body separate from LoN (had less power)

Answer 52

to end slavery

Answer 53

organised raids on camps of slave traders in Sierra Leone, setting 200,000 people free. 1927 Sierra Leone announced slavery was to be abolished

Answer 54

to improve world health

Answer 55

- started an international campaign to kill mosquitoes (stop spread of malaria and yellow fever) - worked with Russian govt to organise an education programme to teach people about how typhus was spread - sent doctors to look after refugees in Turkey and helped improve living conditions in refugee camps in '20s - was later renamed World Health Organisation which still exists

Answer 56

to stop the cultivation and distribution of opium (it was legally used as a painkiller, but some drugs companies also sold it illegally). after 1925, the Board became the Permanent Central Narcotics Board and tackled other drugs too

Answer 57

- introduced a system where companies had to have a certificate to say that they were allowed to import opium for medicinal purposes - blacklisted 4 large companies that were involved in trading illegal drugs

Answer 58

some historians claim that the key members of LoN weren't really dedicated to stopping sale of opium as they made large amounts of money from it

Answer 59

to help the world economy

Answer 60

- austria and hungary had lost the war and were trying to rebuild their economies; LoN sent financial experts to help so they wouldn't go bankrupt - developed codes for importing and exporting so all members were following same rules

Answer 61

when global depression hit, this commission was unable to cope

Answer 62

regulated transport developed during WWI to keep people safe

Answer 63

- introduced shipping lanes, which meant fewer collisions occurred - produced an international highway code so car drivers followed same traffic rules wherever they travelled

Answer 64

- The Washington Arms Conference 1921-22 - The Rapallo Treaty 1922 - Geneva Protocol 1924 - Dawes Plan 1924 - The Locarno Treaties 1925 - The Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 - Young Plan 1929

Answer 65

USA, Japan, China, France, UK, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, The Netherlands

Answer 66

discussed how big navies could be; decided UK and USA could have the same size and that for every 5 tonnes each of their battleships weighed, Japan could have 3 tonnes

Answer 67

- good to have some military rules - violent (no disarmament), - excludes G + USSR

Answer 68

undermined LoN (Treaty outside of league, against disarmament - despite most of the countries involved also belonging to the league), USA isn't even in the league

Answer 69

germany and USSR

Answer 70

- agreed to cancel all financial claims against each other and strengthened their economic and military ties. - created secret agreements between germany and USSR, which allowed german officers to acquire experience with the Red Army and provided opportunities for experimentation with the design of forbidden weapons (eg tanks, aircraft)

Answer 71

- french and british surprised and furious (helped harden french against the germans). - spiteful and aggressive way of getting around the ToV - divided europe - caused actual danger (weapons) - made GB and france see they can't keep them as outcasts forever - leading to locarno?

Answer 72

- dangerous intent goes against values - not involved

Answer 73

GB and France

Answer 74

- agreed that if 2 members of LoN were in dispute they would ask LoN to help and would have to accept LoN's decision. - before the plan could be put to effect, british election meant conservative govt won and refused to sign the Protocol as they thought it could later mean they would have to agree to something against their own interests.

Answer 75

- eventually turned to Locarno Pact as an alternate means of pursuing collective security in europe - bad for peace ⇒ self interest - didn't sign

Answer 76

- undermined them ⇒ trying to make decisions about the league without the league

Answer 77

USA and germany, UK, Italy, Belgium, France

Answer 78

- set up a more manageable repayment plan for short-term. - germany loaned 800 million marks from USA.

Answer 79

- germany less upset ⇒reduce tensions. - germany able to recover faster ⇒more stability?

Answer 80

undermined League - involved countries outside LoN

Answer 81

UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Italy

Answer 82

- guaranteed germany's western frontier - france, germany, and belgium pledged to treat as absolute. - GB and italy committed themselves to help repel any armed aggression across the frontier. - germany accepted rhineland remain demilitarised.

Answer 83

Germany suggested the treaties and it was not a member of the League of Nations

Answer 84

- paved way for germany joining LoN in 1926 - germany refused to agree the same with eastern borders (betrayal of poland and czech) - stabilised western europe - seemed that Germany was accepting ToV and was trying to become a peaceful nation - relationships between countries, especially France and Germany, improved - not diktat

Answer 85

- LoN should have been leading the way on such an important agreement, especially since it involved two of it’s powerful members, Britain and France - undermining LoN - helped LoN agenda with peace

Answer 86

65 nations incl. Germany. organised by US foreign minister, Kellogg, and French foreign minister, Briand

Answer 87

promise not to use war to achieve foreign policy aims

Answer 88

Germany and USA were not members of LoN

Answer 89

- not all germans supported it, because it didn't remove restrictions in ToV - no way of enforcing pact - all countries agreed to keep armies for self-defence

Answer 90

- The fact that LoN was not involved made it look like it was a place to talk, not for actual solutions, and this damaged its reputation - proved USA not completely isolationist (so why didn't they join the league?)

Answer 91

Germany, france, UK, belgium, italy, japan

Answer 92

- reduced total reparations amount by 20% - US banks would continue to loan Germany money, coordinated by JP Morgan (one of the world's leading banks)

Answer 93

- excluding germany less? less divisive europe? - germany less upset ⇒reduce tensions. - germany able to recover faster ⇒more stability?

Answer 94

undermined LoN, involves countries outside of league, changing decisions without the league

Answer 95

- allowed countries to bypass LoN decisions and pursue their own interests - they make global decisions without the involvement of LoN, creating extraneous alliances and divisions meaning it was less of a collective so harder to achieve aims (ie collective security) - it is a sign of failure that countries relied, not on LoN and its supposed safeguards, but on separate treaties outside of Collective Security, to keep them safe - should be global; now small groups are making agreements - countries picking and choosing when to use LoN

Answer 96

- not all countries in LoN; all involving USA had to be outside it - can't get anything done in LoN: structure (veto) - league's own rules act against it - lack of trust in league; don't think it's capable, no army

Answer 97

- Destroy ToV/Rearmament - Unite all German speaking countries - Defeat communism - Expand German territory

Answer 98

- wanted conscription and to build an airforce - couldn't destroy ToV without rearmament - had always felt ToV was unfair and humiliating - it was why he became a politician - wanted to rearm germany and make it a 'great nation'

Answer 99

to create Grossdeutchland; ToV had banned Anschluss and forced Germans to live in Czechoslovakia (Sudetenland) and Poland (Danzig) by removing German territories

Answer 100

believed the Bolsheviks helped cause their defeat in WWI and feared a Bolshevik takeover; wanted to destroy Russia

Answer 101

- to get extra land for Lebensraum for the German people - new racial europe

Answer 102

- left LoN - reichstag fire - ignored the ToV - dismembered it - appeasement; introduced conscription 1935, remilitarised rhineland 1936 - encouraged rebel germans in sudetenland and austria to radicalise and become more extreme, creating destabilisation (gives him an excuse to march in)

Answer 103

- initially intended to stay out of the war - trade

Answer 104

- contrasting political systems - prepared its armed forces - worried about WWII

Answer 105

- USA maintained isolationism - focussing on recovery post-GD - poll in 1934 said 70% of Americans were against war (pacifist) - 1936 - FDR won election promising to keep US out of war - 1938 - did try to reason with Hitler over invasion of countries - he didn't listen, nothing they could do, so they continues preparing their armed forces in the background

Answer 106

none, really - Japan joined the Pact of Steel late ig

Answer 107

- both angry at Allies - disliked communism - anti-russian - desire for strength - angry about how they were dealt with post-WWI - militarist, right wing, aggressive

Answer 108

- 1905 - Japan had fought against Russia so shared anti-Russian interests with Germany - 1936 - Anti-Comintern Pact; agreement to work together against communism, later joined by Mussolini (Japan wanted to improve its status after its invasion of Manchuria - China to feel more threatened) - didn't join Pact of Steel until 1940 as their focus was threat of USSR and Hitler and Mussolini were more concerned with central Europe

Answer 109

agreement between germany and japan to work together against communism, later joined by Mussolini

Answer 110

their focus was threat of USSR and Hitler and Mussolini were more concerned with central Europe

Answer 111

- shared hatred of Poland - outcasts - wary of britain and france - still ignored by europe; not invited to Munich Conference 1938 - Nazi-Soviet pact - militaristic tendencies

Answer 112

- Hitler wanted Russia as lebensraum - communist - mutual assistance pact with france

Answer 113

- both outcasts at various points - similarly wary of Britain and France - Hitler had made it clear that he wanted to destroy Communism; Stalin makes mutual assistance pact with France to work together - Stalin wanted to be covered on all fronts to adopted a cautious approach; obsessed with security - After invading Czechoslovakia, the only thing standing in Hitler's way of Poland is Stalin/Red Army; Nazi Soviet Pact 1939 to split up Poland and not challenge one another (first act of WWII)

Answer 114

- had been allies in the past - both under fascist regimes - both expansionist aims - may have felt overlooked - disliked communism

Answer 115

- italy switched sides in WWI - potential rivalry - neighbours after anschluss - will their expansionist aims bring them into conflict with each other?

Answer 116

- Mussolini had tried to stop Anschluss - Worked together in Spanish civil war - both send troops to help - 1936 - Rome Berlin Axis; not a formal treaty but does promise collaboration - after Abyssinia, Mussolini's relationship with Britain and France is poor so working with Hitler will mean he has an ally - 22 May 1939 - 'Pact of Steel' agree that they will fight together if war breaks out

Answer 117

22nd May 1939

Answer 118

wanted germany destroyed; ToV, WWI, Ruhr Crisis

Answer 119

- political instability ⇒ extremism - relationship with UK shaken

Answer 120

- suffered due to GD resulting in political instability - many sticking points between them in early 30s where french continued to insist germany faced restrictions that they themselves should also be adhering to (eg LoN demilitarisation) - french could not do much to challenge hitler early on (particularly without UK); remilitarisation of rhineland where france's concerns are initially piqued (UK refuses to intervene which shakes UK/France relationship)

Answer 121

- WWI ToV - germany is friends with Italy and USSR and is dangerous to British Empire

Answer 122

- trade - many british people anti-ToV - anti-war - thought hitler didn't want war too - Anglo-german naval agreement - thought he could be an ally against USSR

Answer 123

- Initially, UK concerned regarding Hitler but he signs a non-aggression pact with Poland (1934) so they are persuaded he doesn't want war - 1937-40 Chamberlain PM; policy of appeasement to give Hitler what he wants to avoid war - people became critical of ToV as though if germany was repressed it could become prime for a communist revolution - some people believed Hitler should be treated more harshly - eg Churchill - 1935 - Stresa Front against Germany where Italy/France agreed to unite against threat of Hitler - huge public sentiment against another war - needed time to rearm, their armies were not big enough to fight and win a war

Answer 124

- japan wasn't a democracy and their army had a lot of influence over the govt; army concerned about their position inworld politics, as were large sections of japanese public - manchuria was a province of china and had raw materials (rubber, coal, iron) that japan lacked. china was weak (fighting a civil war) and previously agreed for manchuria to be a japanese sphere of interest - Japan had a large population and wanted more living space - 1929 GD: - Wall St Crash put US economy into depression; to protect their industries, countries put in place tariffs (self-interest). partly as a result of American tariffs, japanese production fell 30% from 1929-31. - Nationalists blamed Japan's links with the western world; gave them a reason to change policy and direction - less democratic and less western - Japan struggled to import food. - couldn't feed population which was growing by 1 million a year - couldn't grow enough rice so imported rice and exported silk - silk market collapsed - not enough money ⇒starvation

Answer 125

- Sep 1931- explosion on South Manchurian Railway (owned by Japanese). Japanese army claimed it was an act of sabotage by chinese army (actually the Kwantung Army) - Japanese army used the opportunity to seize control of Manchuria and force Chinese to fully withdraw from area - Feb 1932 - set up puppet govt with deposed last emperor of China, Pu Yi in control - China appealed to LoN whilst Japan claimed their actions were due to the area getting out of control - LoN set up a commission of inquiry to gather information and draw up a report; send Lytton in late '31 - Lytton report not published until Oct 1932 - picked someone without real desire to fix it - Lytton Report firmly in favour of China; declared Japan had acted unlawfully and that Manchuria should be returned to China - all LoN members accepted the report, apart from Japan - LoN instructed Japan to withdraw its troops; instead, the Japanese took firmer control - Japan ignored the report and left LoN in 1933 (as Hitler came to power) - Japan remained in control of Manchuria and continued to invade; Jehol and China itself in 1937 - LoN did nothing; economic sanctions may not have worked, as Japan's main trading partner was US - UK was concerned further measures may harm their trade in Asia.

Answer 126

september 1931

Answer 127

february 1932

Answer 128

october 1932

Answer 129

- showed LoN were powerless to prevent an aggressive dictator from invading another country - LoN seen as weak; members hadn't followed procedures set out by the Covenant (hand't imposed economic sanctions as they did not want to lose further trade in the time of Depression and didn't use military action - self-interest [Japan may have attacked their colonies in the Far East]) - Lytton Report was seen as “face saving” - Japan withdrew from the League and eventually drew closer to the dictators Mussolini and Hitler.

Answer 130

- Lytton Report took far too long; by the time it was finished, Japan was in control of Manchuria - Depression was already damaging world trade and League members were unwilling to impose economic sanctions - Asia was far away and not viewed as vital to the countries in Europe; they didn't want to commit resources to dealing with the issues there - Countries weren't unwilling to take military action because it would be expensive and unpopular with the public - Britain and France had put “self interest” first

Answer 131

- chance for revenge; defeated by Abyssinia in 1896 at the Battle of Adowa. - suffering from the Depression; foreign conquest would distract the Italian people from their problems and raw materials (rich in natural resources - fertile lands for livestock) to help Italy’s economy ⇒would boost Mussolini's popularity - Felt Italy had received little after WWI compared to others. - Mussolini seeked glory and conquest - want to bring roman empire back - this would be an easy victory; modern army vs spears and arrows - already owned Italian Somaliland and Eritrea, either side of abyssinia - would join 2 parts of their empire together so they could exploit it more fully and put pressure on british land on coast - confident could invade without LoN stopping him; corfu 1923 and manchuria, want to keep italy as ally against germany, britain and france couldn't argue as they had vast empires themselves - Mussolini was jealous of Hitler; wanted to show he was the main dictator in Europe

Answer 132

- December 1934 - Italian troops provoked a clash with Abyssinians at Wal Wal as an excuse for war; 2 italians, 150 abyssians killed - 1935 - Stresa Front; formalised UK's, France's and Italy's protest at German rearmament and committed to stand against Germany united - at this meeting, they didn't question Abyssinia (desperate to keep good relations with Mussolini) - 4th Sep 1935 - after 8 months deliberation, a committee reported that neither side could be held responsible for Wal-Wal. LoN put forward a plan that would give Mussolini some of Abyssinia - he rejected it. - 3rd October 1935 - Italy invaded from the north (Eritrea) and from the south east (Somaliland); Abyssinian forces stood little chance against the modern army of Ital - Abyssinia and Italy were both members of the League of Nations so Haile Selassie appealed to the League for help - LoN condemned Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia and imposed economic sanctions but did not include oil, coal and iron – commodities which would have stopped Italy’s invasion. Did not use force to stop Italy but banned arm sales. Suez canal (owned by Uk and France) was not closed to Mussolini's supply ships. - December 1935 - Hoare Laval Pact drawn up; leaked by the press and due to a public outcry was never put into action. - May 1936 - capture Addis Ababa - June 1936 - Haile Selassie went to Geneva and addressed LoN in person but was jeered by the Italians and got no further help. - July 1936 - sanctions against Italy dropped. Italy kept Abyssinia.

Answer 133

December 1934

Answer 134

4th September 1935

Answer 135

3rd October 1935

Answer 136

December 1935

Answer 137

- Pact drawn up by French foreign secretary Pierre Laval and British Foreign secretary Samuel Hoare - proposed giving large areas of Abyssinia to Mussolini if he withdrew his troops (would be reduced to half its size)

Answer 138

- LoN seen as weak; almost no one saw the L of N as a serious or powerful organisation - Hoare Laval Pact showed how weak Britain and France were - Britain and France showed that they cared more about their own interests - Countries lost faith in LoN and its ideals; Collective Security did not work so small countries knew LoN would do nothing to protect them. - proved UK and france prioritised other concerns above LoN's principles; lost integrity - LoN never restored reputation or influence - Hitler observed lack of decisive action and saw that aggression paid - 1937 Italy left LoN - offended by imposition of sanctions - moved closer to Hitler; 1936 signed Rome–Berlin Axis.

Answer 139

- didn't implement all possible sanctions - didn't act quickly enough to calm the situation after the first fight at Wal-Wal - didn't ask USA for help - didn't send troops to help Abyssinia

Answer 140

they did ban the sale of arms and some other goods to italy but this sanction was ineffective and weak without the other, more significant, economic sanctions that LoN could/should have put in place

Answer 141

they didn't because they feared that the US wouldn't cooperate. yet another example of how the US' absence severely weakened LoN

Answer 142

they didn't because the british feared their mining industry would be badly affected (would lose 50,000 miners) and coal would come from USSR or US anyway. another example of self-interest and undermining collective security.

Answer 143

they didn't because they were worried that closing the canal would provoke a full-scale war with italy. showed LoN was powerless to stand up to aggressive dictators and were driven by self-interest.