To what extent was the League of Nations a success? (Pullan) Flashcards
need to add manchurian crisis and Abyssinia
Where was the headquarters of the League?
Geneva
Which League committee aimed to improve conditions for working people?
International Labour Organisation
What did the mandates commission do?
Dealt with the running of former German and Ottoman colonies mandated to League of Nations control.`
What was the Conference of Ambassadors?
This was a group that had oversight of the way peace treaties were put into effect. There was often uncertainty about which issues should be decided by the League and which should be sorted out by the CofA.
What did the Permanent Court of International Justice do?
This was based in The Hague and its role was to help settle disputes, particularly over borders, between countries. However, it had no way of making sure that countries followed its rulings.
Describe the work of the Refugees Committee.
The League appointed the famous explorer Fridtjof Nansen to oversee this committee, which aimed to return refugees (mainly from former Russian and Ottoman territories) to their homes or help them to settle and find work in new countries. 400,000 prisoners returned to their homes after the War.
Who were the permanent members of the League Council in 1920?
Britain, France, Italy, Japan
Roughly how many times a year did the Council meet?
5
How many times a year did the League Assembly meet?
Once
What was the key problem with decisions that were made by the Assembly?
They had to be unanimous, and it was often difficult to get all members to agree.
In 1921, the League ruled on a dispute over the Aaland Islands. What was the outcome?
The League ruled that the islands should belong to Finland, and Sweden accepted this.
How did the League resolve the dispute over Upper Silesia (1921)?
The League oversaw a peaceful plebiscite and divided the region between Germany and Poland.
What was the Geneva Protocol?
This said that if two LoN members were in dispute, they had to ask the League to sort out the disagreement, and they had to accept the Council’s decision. In the end, Britain refused to sign up to this after it was drawn up in 1924.
In which year was the Vilna incident? And what happened?
- 1920
- Poland took control of the Lithuanian capital, Vilna. L appealed to the League and the League protested to Poland. The Poles did not pull out. Britain and France unprepared to act.
In which year did the Corfu incident take place?
1923
Who was the Italian general murdered in Corfu, which sparked Mussolini’s occupation of the island?
Tellini
How, broadly, did the Great Depression in the US affect the economies of other countries?
- US loans dried up, negatively affecting the economies of many European countries, and leading to unemployment
- Many countries started to rearm as a way of trying to get industry going, and to provide jobs
How did the Great Depression affect Japan? Give at least two points.
- Main export was silk to the US; this dried up
- Consequent economic downturn meant Japan had less money to buy food and raw materials
- Japan’s military leaders decided that building an Empire and taking over weaker countries could help recover the economy
How did the Great Depression affect Germany? Give at least two points.
- There was unemployment and poverty
- Germany’s political leaders seemed unable to do anything about the chaos
- Adolf Hitler was elected as Germans saw his ideas as potentially able to provide some sort of solution to these problems
When was the Wall Street Crash?
October 1929
Where was the explosion that gave Japan the excuse to invade Manchuria?
Mukden, on the South Manchurian Railway
When China appealed to the League after the invasion on Manchuria, what did the League do?
- Sent a commission to report on the crisis
- Took a full year to report
- Their conclusions = Japan had acted unlawfully and Manchuria should be returned to China
What was Japan’s response to the League’s condemnation of their actions in Manchuria?
They left the League (in March, 1933)
The League’s response to the Manchurian crisis was a failure. Give three reasons why.
- Slow response
- Countries not willing to risk their armed forces in a war with ‘far away’ Japan
- Economic sanctions meaningless without the USA
- Britain keen to maintain a good (trading) relationship with Japan
- Japan simply left the League in response
When did the Disarmament Conference begin?
February, 1932
How did Hitler respond to the discussions during the Disarmament Conference?
Left the Conference (Oct, 1933), and soon after took Germany out of the League altogether
When was the Anglo-German naval agreement, and what did it say?
- Allowed Germany to build up its navy to no more than 35% the size of Britain’s. Britain did not consult the LoN about this, even though it violated Versailles.
Give three reasons why Mussolini wanted to invade Abyssinia?
- Revenge for 1896 Italian defeat at Adowa
- Fertile lands and mineral wealth
- Glory of conquest
- Distraction from Italian domestic problems
Where was the dispute that began the Abyssinian crisis?
Wal Wal
Describe the Stresa Pact
- Formal statement, signed by France, Britain and Italy, against German rearmament, and a commitment that they would stand united against Hitler.
In which month and year did Mussolini launch his full-scale invasion of Abyssinia?
October, 1935
What four sanctions did the League place on Italy in the aftermath of the Abyssinian invasion?
- Banned arms sales to Italy
- Banned loans to Italy
- Banned imports from Italy
- Banned export of tin, rubber and metals to Italy
Why were League sanctions against Mussolini after the Abyssinian invasion ineffective?
- Decision to impose sanctions delayed for two months.
- Suez Canal not closed.
- Oil not part of any sanctions
- Little British enthusiasm for sanctions against Italy.
Which Pact was designed by the French and British foreign ministers in response to the Abyssinian crisis, December 1935?
Hoare-Laval Pact
When did Hitler march his troops into the Rhineland?
7th March 1936
When was the Dawes Plan and what was it designed to do?
- Aimed to help sort out Germany’s economic chaos by providing Dollar loans which were used to rebuild industry and help pay reparations.
When was the Locarno Treaty, and what did it do?
- Germany accepted its western borders as set out in the ToV. Paved the way for Germany to join the LoN.`
When, and what, was the Kellogg-Briand pact?
- 65 nations agreed not to use force to settle disputes.
Give four aims of the League
- Discourage aggression from any nation
- Encourage cooperation between nations, especially in trade
- Encourage disarmament
- Improve living and working conditions of people in all parts of the world
Which article of the LoN’s Covenant established the principle of ‘collective security’?
Article 10.
what did Wilson, Br, Fr want from the LoN?
- a world parliament
- Br- a small thing and only used in emergencies
-Fr- to be strong with its own army
why didnt the USA join the league?
- didn’t want ot use their soldiers
- LoN imposed sanctions they didnt want to follow
- the treaty was hated by Americans and they thought it was unfair
- Many US citizens were anti imperialis / german
- the senate rejected the LoN
- had an isiolationist policy
what are all the parts of the league?
the council, the assembly, the secretariat, the permanent court of international justice, and the comittees
name all the committees.
internaitonla labour organisation, the mandate comission, regugees comittee, slavery comission, health comittee
what was the council
- met 5 times a year
- made up of permanent members and temporary members
- main aim was to resolve disputes
how did the council use their power?
moral condemnation
economic and financial sanctions,
military force
what is the assembly?
every country had a representative which could recommend actions.
All decisions had to be unanimous
how were temporary mebers ot eh council selected?
they were selected by the assembly every 3 years
wha was the secretariat
a civil service serving everyone else in the LoN. It kept records of meeting and prepared reports aswell as bringing together experts (for key issues like health, disarmament, and economic matters)
what was the permanent court for international justice
it was meant to play a key role in settling disputes. based in Hague and it was mad euphoria of Judges and member countries.
which of the league agencies were success’ and failures
refugee- success 425, 000 people helped
health - success prevented typhus epidemic in siberia, reduced incidents of leprosy, helped create vaccines for diptheria, tetanus, TB
Economic and financial organisation - success as loans were given out so unemployment fell
labour - failure they could only make recommendations
slavey - sort of success
disarmament - failure hard to get countries ot disarm
what were the main disputes? name them in order.
VIlna 1920, Upper Silesia 1921, Aaland islands 1921, Corfu 1923, Geneva protocol 1924, Bulgaria 1925
what was the Abyssinian crisis?
The Abyssinian Crisis was an international conflict that took place between 1934 and 1937. It was a result of a dispute between Italy and Ethiopia over the town of Walwal. The crisis led to Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia, now known as Ethiopia.
what were the events of the Abyssinian crisis?
The Abyssinian Crisis of 1935 began when Italy invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) to expand its empire. Abyssinia appealed to the League of Nations for help. The League condemned Italy’s invasion and imposed economic sanctions. However, these measures were weak and did not include vital resources like oil. As a result, the sanctions were ineffective and Italy continued its invasion.
what did the Abyssinian crisis show?
The League’s failure to effectively handle the Abyssinian Crisis demonstrated the weakness of Britain and France. The crisis showed that the two major powers within the League were more focused on their own interests. They would do anything to avoid conflict. They had no desire to uphold the League’s principles of collective security and peace.
Moreover, the Abyssinian Crisis led to a loss of faith in the League’s ability to maintain international peace and cooperation among member nations. As a result, the League’s influence was greatly reduced. It failed to prevent further aggression and the outbreak of the Second World War.
what were the Consequences of the Abyssinian Crisis?
The Abyssinian Crisis highlighted the selfish interests of Britain and France
The Hoare-Laval Pact aimed to give Mussolini what he wanted to protect Britain and France’s imperial interests in East Africa
Britain and France avoided taking firm action against Italy
They did not close the Suez Canal
Italy continued to have sea access to Abyssinia
Britain and France had just signed the Stresa Front (1935) with Mussolini
The Stresa Front was an agreement against Nazi Germany
This alliance seemed more important to France and Britain than protecting Abyssinia
Britain and France failed to achieve a long-lasting alliance with Italy
In 1936, Italy and Germany formed the Rome-Berlin Axis
The incident reconfirmed how weak the League was without the USA
The USA sold oil to Italy
If the League placed oil sanctions on Italy, they feared that the USA would not support the League
As a result, Italy continued to have essential resources for war
what was the Manchurian crisis?
The Manchurian Crisis was a Japanese invasion of the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. The crisis began with an explosion on a Japanese-owned railway near Mukden, which Japan blamed on Chinese nationalists. Japan used this as an excuse to invade Manchuria and establish the puppet state of Manchukuo.
Why was the manchurian crisis significant?
The Manchurian Crisis of 1931 was a significant event that contributed to the collapse of the League of Nations. China appealed to the League of Nations for help, expecting the League to take action against Japan’s aggression. However, the League took over a year to investigate and issue a report condemning Japan’s actions. Japan simply ignored the League’s condemnation and withdrew from the organisation. This showed that the League had little real power to enforce its decisions.
The failure of the League to handle the Manchurian Crisis showed the world that it was unable to stop aggressive actions by powerful nations. This encouraged other countries to act similarly. For instance, Italy and Germany pursued their own aggressive foreign policy without fear of significant repercussions from the League. The inability to prevent or punish Japan’s invasion undermined the League’s credibility and authority.
The Manchurian Crisis highlighted the limitations of the League’s structure and decision-making processes. The League required unanimous agreement from its members to take action, which was difficult to achieve. Major powers like Britain and France were reluctant to impose sanctions or take military action against Japan. They feared that sanctions would harm their own economic interests and lead to further conflict. This lack of decisive action and unity among member nations contributed to its eventual collapse.
what were the Consequences of the Manchurian Crisis
The League of Nations looked weak
The League considered the Lytton Report in February 1933, 18 months after Japan had invaded Manchuria
This was too slow to react to a crisis of this scale
Britain and France did not want to stand up against Japan
Japan was a permanent member of the League
Japan had equal power to Britain and France to veto any actions
Britain and France had colonies in the Far East
If the League started a war with Japan, it would affect Britain and France’s imperial trade
The League did not have key countries as members
The USA would have the military strength to stand up against Japan
In addition, the US was Japan’s key trading partner
The USSR did not want Japan to invade closer to its territory and would use force to stop this
The League’s lack of reaction encouraged further aggression
Germany and Italy were also looking to expand their territories
Hitler and Mussolini knew now that the League would not stop them from achieving their aggressive foreign policy aims
What is the Hoare Laval pact?
in Dec 1935 when sancitons discussions were taking place, the Br and Fr foreign ministers hatched a plan where they intended to give Mussolini 2/3 Abyssinia in return for him calling off his invasion
this made snaction discussions lose momentum
who was the leader of Abyssinia?
Haile Selassie
