Was the League of Nations destined to fail?

• League type of Leauge did each of the Big Three want to set up?


  WW: Be like a world parliament Representatives of all nations meet regularly and decided on matters that affected everyone. DLG: Simple organisation that only met during emergencies GC: Strong league, own army
• What were the aims of the League?

  Stop wars, Improve lives, Disarmament, Enforce ToV/ Encourage discussion
• What commissions/committees did the League have? Name a success and a failure. Pt 1

  International labour organisation: S- In 1928 77 countries agreed to set a minimum wage. F- They were not able to stop children under 14 working (even though they tried) as companies didn't want to do this as they thought it would cost too much.
• What commission/committees did the LoN have. Name a success and a failure. Pt 2

  The permanent Centeral opium board: S- Started a system where companies had to have a certificate saying they were allowed to import opium for medicinal purposes AND blacklisted 4 large companies that were trading illegal drugs. F- Key members were not dedicated to this cause as some made money off this.
• Explain how the organisation of the League ensured that Britain and Fr dominated the decision making making process


  Both countries were in the council so had the power to make decisions that they wanted.
• Which major counties didn't join the league and why?

  Germany: Were blamed for WW1 and had to prove they were peace loving before being allowed to join. Russia: Not trusted by GB and Fr because they promoted communism. USA: isolationism, most Americans didn't want to get involved due to German ancestry, Republican Party said no, didn't want bad economy.
• Two strengths of the league.

  There were a high number of countries involved in the league. 42 countries joined when it started and by the 1930s 58 were members.The slavery commission set 20,000 slaves in Sierra Leone free
• Two weaknesses of the League

  GB were more interested in looking after the empire and rebuilding British trade. Americans were isolationist and congress knew it. Therefore, they didn't join.
• What successes did the League of Nations have in the 1920s. Explain.

  Upper Silesia: (1920) Germany and Poland. LoN organise a plebiscite and 2/3 to Germany and 1/3 to Poland. Aaland Islands: (1921) Sweden and Finland. LoN decides Finland keep them but the Swedish minority are protected as Finland can't build forts.
• What failures did they have in the 1920s. Explain.

  Villa: (1920) Poland marches troops into Villa capital of newly created Lithuania. The league objects and Poland ignores. Corfu: (1923) Italy invades Corfu as Italian General is claimed to have been killed by a Greek gang. Italy leave Corfu in triumph once LoN agrees that Greece pays Italy compensation.
• Decisions made outside the LoN in the 1920s

  The Washington Naval agreement, disarmament conference
• Why did the Great Depression make it harder for the League to be a success?

  Countries were focusing more on the problems they were facing at home and making decisions based off of how it would affect their country making it more biased.
• What happened when Japan invaded Manchuria


  Japan hit bad by GD + thought an empire would solve its problems- invade Manchuria (1931) using railway incident as excuse- LoN take one year to respond and condem Japan's actions- Japan leaves LoN and invade Jehol province of China.
• What factors led to the failure of the League of Nations. Explain each point with CK.

  The Great Depression: Lots of counties in economic crisis in 1929 and focused more on their own problems. Disarmament conference: (1932) none of the countries can agree how to agree how to treat Germany and when Hitler becomes chancellor in 1933 and rearms other countries start following their lead.
• When was the Leagues disarmament conference, what happened

  1920s: LoN fail to make good progress: The conference (1923) slow to make progress and can't agree on how to treat Germany- Hitler becomes Chancellor in 1933 and GER leaves conference- he starts to rearm and other countries also do so.
• Why did the conference fail?

  Because countries though that other countries rearming was a threat to their own security and national interest.
• What happened in Abyssinia


  Mussolini invades in 1935- LoN bans arms sales to Italy but not oil as the were worried it would damage their own economy- Hore + Laval (GB, Fr) 2/3 of Abyssinia to ITA and done in secret- details of pact leaked, sacked- 1936: GER troops sent into Rhineland and any hope of LoN pushing ITA out of Abyssinia ends + Rome Berlin axis in Nov