League of Nations

• league environment from each prez

  • Wilson wanted it to be like a world parliament where representatives of all nations could meet to decide on what matters affected them.
  • lloyd wanted a smile org. that would only meet in emergencies
  • France wanted a strong league with its own army
• wilson's plans for the league

  • major nations would join the league and disarm
  • if there was a dispute with another country, they'd take it to the league and accept it's impositions
  • they'd protect one another if invaded
  • if any member broke the COVENANT and went to war, other nations would stop trading with it and stop the fighting by sending troops
• why the US opposed joining the league

  • some feared that joining meant sending soldiers from the US to settle every conflict
  • if the league imposed sanctions, it may be american trade and business that'd suffer the most
  • some feared that the league would be dominated by Britain and France, and would be called to defend empires; many in the US were anti empires
  • a republican candidate campaigned fr america to be isolationist and won
• aims that covenant set for the league

  • encourage countries to cooperate, especially in business an trading
  • discourage aggression in every nation
  • imp[rove working and living conditions in all parts of the world
  • encourage disarmament
• why were Britain and France unable to take roles in league

  they had both been weakened in WW1. they both didnt have resources to fill the gap left by the US. they both felt that america was the only nation with the resources to make the league work. British politicians were more interested in rebuilding British trade and looking after British empire, whereas France was still concerned about Germany and how there league was too weak to protect France from Germany. it finds trust that Britain would come help it when needed, so france was ready to strengthen its position against Germany
• organisation of the league

  • assembly: met annually, made unanimous decisions, recommended actions to the council, and voted on new members.
  • council: met five times a year, smaller than the assembly, with permanent and temporary members. resolved disputes through negotiation, military force, sanctions, or moral condemnation.
  • pcij: group of judges from member countries, based in the Netherlands. settled disputes peacefully and ruled on issues like border conflicts.
  • secretariat: supported all league bodies, kept records, and prepared reports.
  • ilo: worked with economy to improve conditions
• actions taken by league to deal with other major problems

  • mandates commission: monitored the treatment of people in mandated territories, ensuring Britain and France acted in their interests, not their own.
  • refugee committee: assisted refugees who fled during WW1.
  • slavery commission: worked to abolish slavery globally and improve conditions for workers treated like slaves.
  • health committee: addressed diseases, promoted health education, and worked with experts to collect data to fight illness.
• weak league: vilna

  
  

  On 7/10/1920, Vilna, with a largely Polish-speaking population, became the seat of the Lithuanian government after League negotiations. 2 days later, it was annexed by the Polish army. Lithuania appealed to the League, which ordered Polish forces to withdraw and wait for a plebiscite. Poland refused, and the League was powerless to stop the conflict.
• weak league: corfu

  In 1923, after an Italian general was killed in Greece, Mussolini blamed Greece and wanted compensation. Greece refused, so Italy occupied Corfu. Greece appealed to the League of Nations, but they condemned Italy and ordered a withdrawal. Mussolini insisted the issue be resolved by the Conference of Ambassadors. France, with its forces tied up in the Ruhr, supported Italy, and the British, unwilling to act without French backing, sided with them. As a result, the Conference of Ambassadors ruled in favor of Italy, forcing Greece to pay compensation while Italy withdrew
• strong league: aaland islands and Bulgaria

  • The aaland Islands, a Finnish territory with a large Swedish-speaking pop., saw many islanders push for independence, nearly leading to conflict. The League of Nations investigated and awarded the islands to Finland, with protections for the Swedish population and the removal of Finnish troops. Both countries accepted the decision
  • greek troops invaded Bulgaria after a border incident. Bulgaria appealed to the league. the league demanded greeks to leave Bulgaria, and Greece had to pay £4500 compensation.
• how did the league help with humanitarian work

  • refugees: 400,000 prisoners were returned to their homes by the league's agencies.
  • working conditions: ILO succeeded in limiting the amount of hours children worked. it also campaigned for employers to improve working conditions
  • health: it sponsored research into infectious diseases at institutes and they helped develop medicines to fight them
  • slavery/forced labour: helped free 200,000 slaves and challenged the use of forced labour to build a railway in Africa
• how did the league fail disarmament

  in 1921, Japan, USA, Britain, and France agreed to limit the size if their navies but didnt disarm. however, Germany had disarmed bc it was treaty law , damaging the reputation of the league
• successes of the league

  • increase in trade helped reduce political tension between countries
  • league became one of the ways in.which the world sorted out international disputes
  • it helped develop internationalist mindset among leaders (collaboration over competition)
• challenges the league faces in the 1930's

  • Manchurian crisis: no action was taken when Japan invaded Manchuria
  • Abyssinian crisis: league members couldn't agree on man effective way to impose sanctions on Italy. they even tries too do a secret deal giving most of Abyssinia to Italy
• impact of the depression on different countries

  • us and britain: the depression made them unwilling to resolve international disputes, as economic sanctions would worsen their economies.
  • italy: economic problems led mussolini to pursue an overseas empire to distract from govt struggles.
  • germany: high unemployment and poverty, with weak leadership unable to address the crisis.
  • japan: the depression threatened bankruptcy, and reduced us exports led japan to invade weaker countries for needed resources.
• Manchurian crisis


  The crisis weakened the League in 1931. China appealed to the League for help, but the League's response was slow and ineffective. While the League condemned Japan's actions, it lacked the military power to intervene and was unable to enforce proper sanctions. Britain and France were reluctant to take strong action due to their own economic struggles and the desire to avoid conflict with Japan, a growing power. This failure damaged the League's credibility, showing it could not prevent aggression from major nations and setting a dangerous precedent for future conflicts.
• Abyssinian crisis


  After Italy’s failed invasion of Abyssinia, Mussolini sought revenge and prepared for another attack. Abyssinia appealed to the League, but Britain and France, keen to maintain relations with Mussolini, downplayed the situation and signed the Stresa Pact. The League offered Mussolini part of Abyssinia after months of debate, but he refused. In October, Mussolini fully invaded, and the League imposed ineffective sanctions. France and Britain secretly agreed to give Italy 2/3 of Abyssinia, and Mussolini later annexed the whole country, damaging the League's reputation.