Topic 6: The collapse of the League

Question 1

What caused the Manchurian crisis?

Answer 1

• In 1929, the Wall Street Crash started the Great Depression. Japan suffered greatly; its main export was silk, a luxury item that people couldn’t afford during the Depression.
• Japan became more materialistic - the gov looked for land to invade, thinking it would give them more natural resources. Manchuria, in north China, was rich in natural resources.
• Japan already had industry and a railway there so it looked like an ideal place to invade.

Question 2

What were the events of the Manchurian crisis?

Answer 2

• 18th September 1931: The Mukden incident which was an explosion that occurred on the Japanese-owned South Manchurian Railway. Japan blamed China but China denied the accusations.
• February 1932: The Jap gov wanted friendship with Manchuria but the army ignored this and invaded the country. When the people reacted positively, the gov decided not to stop the invasion. Soon a ‘puppet leader’ (one that Japan could control) was put in charge of Manchuria.
• March 1932: China appealed to the league, which was reluctant to react: Japan was one of its leading members and Manchuria was far from Europe, where the league was based. The league did issue moral condemnation.
• Japan ignored the league. There was little the league could do without its own army and its member didn’t want to send their armies so far away. Economic sanctions would be useless as Japans main trading partner, USA, wasn’t part of the league.
• April 1932: The league sent Brit politician Lord Lytton to investigate; he took nearly a year to complete the report (published in October 1932), by which time Japan had invaded Manchuria. Lytton concluded that Japan was in the wrong, but Japan ignored the report, left the league and went on to occupy more Chinese territory from 1933 to 1937.

Question 3

What were the consequences of the Manchurian crisis?

Answer 3

• One of the league’s own members had ignored its moral condemnation and instructions to withdraw.
• Without an army of its own, the league was powerful.
• However, most people continued to have faith in the league - they thought that if a similar event happened in Europe then the league could deal with it.
• Other militaristic countries like Italy and Germany saw how powerless the league of nations really was.

Question 4

Why did the league fail to stop the Manchurian crisis?

Answer 4

• The Lytton report took far too long; but the time it was finished, Japan had control of Manchuria.
• The Depression was already damaging world trade and league members were unwilling to impose economic sanctions.
• Asia was far away and not viewed as vital tot he countries in Europe; as a result, they didn’t want to commit resources to dealing with the issues there.
• Countries were unwilling to take military action as it would be expensive and unpopular with the public.

Question 5

What caused the Abyssinian crisis?

Answer 5

• Mussolini wanted to invade Abyssinia in Africa because he wanted to rebuild the Roman empire, by invading other countries.
• There were lots of natural resources in Abyssinia, which would be useful for Italy during the Depression.
• In 1896, Italy tries to invade Abyssinia and was humiliated when this poor country defeated them - Mussolini wanted revenge.
• He was confident the league wouldn’t stop him as they’d backed down to him before during the Corfu crisis in 1923.
• In 1935 Britain, France and Italy signed an agreement to form the Stresa Front. Mussolini didn’t think Brit or France would endanger the agreement by trying to stop him.

Question 6

What were the events of the Abyssinian crisis?

Answer 6

• December 1934: Italian troops clashed with Abyssinians at Wal Wal. The league failed to stop Mussolini, who was intent on war.
• January 1935: The French foreign minister, Pierre Laval, made a secret agreement with Italy: Mussolini could deal with Abyssinia however he wanted and France wouldn’t interfere.
• 30 June 1936: The Abyssinian emperor, Haile Selassie, addressed the league but still the league did nothing.
• October 1935: Italian troops entered Abyssinia. The league condemned the invasion, but Mussolini ignored them and even used chemical weapons.
• 5 May 1936: Italian troops entered the Capital, Addis Ababa.
• September1937: Italy left the league.

Question 7

What were the consequences of the Manchurian crisis?

Answer 7

• Brit and France showed they only cared about their own interests.
• Small countries new the league could and would do nothing to protect them.
• From this time onwards, almost no one regarded the league as a serious or powerful organisation.

Question 8

Why did the league fail to stop the Abyssinian crisis?

Answer 8

• Brit and France didn’t close the Suez canal (which would have made it difficult for Mussolini to get troops to Abyssinia) as they didn’t want to upset Mussolini.
• When the league imposed trade sanctions on Italy it failed to ban steel, oil and coal as it felt this would damage their member’s economies. These were resources Mussolini needed for the invasion.
• The league banned sales of arms to Abyssinia, which left them defenceless.
• The Hoare-Laval Pact was suggested by the Brit and French foreign ministers. They wanted to give Mussolini land in Abyssinia. The pact was leaked to the press and there was public outrage; leading members had proven they were willing to undermine the league for their own self-interest.

Question 9

What were the main reasons for the collapse of the league?

Answer 9

• The Depression
• The league was powerless without its own army.
• Economic sanctions didn’t work.
• The league lacked important world powers such as the USA, the USSR, and Germany.
• Britain and France dominated the league.

Question 10

How did the depression lead to the rise of extremist parties?

Answer 10

• In October 1929, the wall street crash occurred. The USA lent money to many countries during WW1, to help them rebuild after the war; therefore, when the USA went bust - so did everyone else.
• The depression brought vast unemployment, homelessness and starvation on a global scale. People lost confidence in their gov’s and demanded change.
• Many were won by the promises of dictators like Hitler, who came to power in 1933. He’d vowed to make Germany great again by invading other countries, which he promised would end the depression by providing employment in weapon factories and the army.
• In Japan, the army took over the country; Stalin controlled the USSR; in Italy Mussolini was the dictator.

Question 11

How did the league fail to avert war in 1939?

Answer 11

• People turned to extremism and militarism in the hope of rebuilding their countries’ economies, and this meant that these countries were less likely to support the league’s aims of cooperation and peace. E.g. Hitler stormed out of the league disarmament conference in 1933.
• Hitler and Mussolini promised glory for their countries by waging war. They weren’t afraid of moral condemnation, and the gov’s couldn’t impose trade sanctions as their economies were also weak du to the depression, and they couldn’t afford to loose deals.
• The only action Hitler and Mussolini couldn’t have ignored was an army, but the league didn’t have one of its own and countries couldn’t afford to lend theirs at this time.
• In this climate, war became more likely and the league was powerless.