Unit 2 Flashcards
What was Japan’s economic position when they invaded?
- depended on imports to feed population
- only had silk as export (luxury item)
Why was Germany not allowed to join LoN?
- they had to prove peace first
- LoN looked like a ‘victors club’
- joined in 1926 (Hitler pulled them out)
3 events that diadvantaged LoN
- Japan invading Manchuria
- Failure of Disarmament
- Italy invading abyssinia
What were the main problems?
-USA weren’t involved
- LoN members were invading
- Unanimous decisions (one opposing vote would mean no actions)
- League didn’t have army for military sanction
Why did the LoN seem successful
- No major conflicts: great powers were exhausted
- CP joined LoN: they needed all the help they could get
What was the PCJ?
Permanent court of International Justice
- offered their opinion
- provided legal advice
-11 judges, 4 deputy judges
What were the positive achievements of the league?
- good work of agencies, committees and commissions
- contribution to border disputes
What was the Mukden Railway Incident?
- Japan stages an incident and uses ‘chinese banditry’ to invade local area.
- China appeal to the league
–> japanese gov promised to withdraw - Japanese occupied the whole province
- Manchukuo
What were the affects of the Wall Street crash?
- decrease in production
- rise of unemployment
–> 6 mil unemployment in Germany
-extremist parties came to power - Made the work of LoN harder
Where was Manchuria?
North east china (bordering Korea)
What did the economic and financial org do?
After WW1 many countries were in a crisis
- controlled level of interest rates
- circulation of bank notes
- issuing credit
-gave loans
What was the hoare Laval pact?
- secret negotiations
- in exchange of no war, Italy gets 2/3 of land. Abyssinia gets a strip of land with access to the sea
- Musolini gave signs he’d accept but it was leaked to the press
- public turned against brit and france
- war continued
Why did Italy invade?
- Italian army defeated by Abyssinia in 1896 (revenge)
- boost popularity
- disappointed about less land from ToV
How did the League respond to Japan and Manchuria?
- didnt impose sanctions
–> didn’t want to reduce trade - No guarantee of success in Military sanctions
-Brit and France didn’t want their colonies in the far east to be invaded - Lytton commissions
Why did the league fail?
- they needed to think of two matters:
- being just (lon)
- not losing Italy to germany
- they ended up with nothing
- Italy leaves LON+ pursues relations with hitler
what were the three parts to security
- Moral disapproval- LoN votes to voice it out
- Economic sanctions- trade boycotts
- Military sanctions- send military to victims
What ideas were discussed to avoid war?
- org to meet for disputes
- org with military to enforce peace
- broad org that meets every once in a while to address intl problems
What did the Health org do?
Helped prevent many diseases (Typhus in Serbia)
linked with non member countries
became WHO
struggles of the league
- 3 permanent members left
- Soviet union expelled (finland)
What’re somethings that went wrong with ILO
reccom working age: 15
-in britain, school leaving age was lower
not all employers have employees the right to join a union
Sucesses of the league?
- No major conflicts
-Central powers joined by the end of 1920s
Why didn’t Russia join?
-Victors
- communists
- Britain, France + Japan tried to assist counter revolution during civil war
- They joined late 20s, expelled after invading Finland
What was the Corfu Incident?
Italian staff murdered
Italian PM ordered bombardment
Greece went to LoN
actions had to be taken by Conference of Ambassadors
- CoA took action against principles of PCJ
- Weakness of LoN
Who was Haile Selassie
pre politics: imperial court
politics: emperor (1930)
character: modern, resisted fascism
Locarno (information)
Borders between France, Germany and Belgium agreed
What was the Lytton commission?
-invasion not justified
- findings accepted against japan
- Japan left
When was the WDC
1932-1934
What commissions were there?
-Mandates: supervised former colonies
-Danzig: league control of former German cities
- Minorities: improved ways racial minorities were treated
- ICO: promoted cultural exchange
-Drug trafficking- reduce drug misuse+ smuggling
When was the wall street crash?
October 1929
What is the Kellogg-Briand pact?
France and USA sign a pact denouncing war
what is the ILO?
International Labour Organization
- had representatives from all groups (unbiased)
- promoted good work practices
- working hours, child labour, women’s rights
What did the Refugee org do?
After WW1, many were homeless or displaced
Gave new homes by:
camps
new settlements
teaching new skills
issuing identity docs
Lesson of Japan-Manchuria
LoN didn’t react quick enough
european powers could not call nearby military
How did Japan invade?
Staging a banditry and invading to ‘protect’ their trade and business
Why was the disarmament commission not working?
-No victors disarmed
-some only voluntarily disarmed
What was the response of the league to Italy’s invasion?
- Economic sanctions
-But war supplies are still being traded - but Suez canal still opened (Italy’s way to Abyssinia)
-Hoare-Laval pact
Agreements outside LoN
-No faith in LoN
- France making agreements outside for german aggression
What did the Secretariat do?
Admin work
- organizing
- distributing agendas
- publish
- budgets
what does the council do?
The head
meet 4-5 times a year
Had both permanent and non permanent members
Permanent (1920)- Britain, Japan, Italy, France
Germany- 1926
Why did the LoN seem like a fail?
- countreis didn’t have confidence in LoN
- they only broke apart small conflicts
Why was USA not in the league of nations?
-nation doesn’t want it, isolationist
- most powerful
- most influential
- wealthy
What was the Geneva Protocol?
LoN members must go by PCJ’s rules
if not, rest of the member will have to enforce economic + military sanctions
(didn’t work)
What did the Slavery org do?
get rid of slavery + young kids/women prostitutes
-persistent questioning
-publicating reports
-coaxing govs
What were the three main bodies of LoN
Secretariat
Assembly
Council
Purpose of league
Prevent war and maintain peace
What did the ILO do?
Improved work environments
-collected data+persuaded govs
what were the 5 organizations under LoN
- Refugee Org
- Health Org
- Economic and Financial org
- ILO
- Slavery commissions
Why did members not agree
-fear and no trust
-france would disarm if brit and US had their backs
- Hitler called france for not disarming (soon started rearming)
Note: after sept 1939, LoN did not meet till April 1946
- assets transferred to UN
Why did they invade manchuria?
- provide food
- provide raw materials
- market for Japan
- Land for population
Where was Abyssinia?
Africa (last independent state)
surrounded by Italian somaliland and Eritrea (italian land)
How did Italy invade A?
- built up forces in somaliland and eritrea (dec 1934)
- war launched (oct 1935)
- War not announced, everyone surprised
why did Japan and Italy leave LoN
were criticized about invading
- the whole point of LoN is to not invade but member do it.
what did the assembly do?
met once a year
considers general matters
controls budgets
Who was musollini?
Pre politics: Journalist, Teacher, Laborer
Politics: Prime minister (1922) + Dictator (1925)
Character: Confident, Self centered
