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CORE CONTENT PAPER 1 – THEME 2: To what extent was the League of Nations a success?

REVISION BOOKLETPAPER 1 – THEME 2

To what extent was the League of Nations a

success?

1Name …………………………………………………………………


What were the aims of the League of Nations? It was originally Wilson’s dream – came into being 1920. Headquarters were in Geneva, Switzerland. Originally 42 members joined in 1920.

AIMS

To keep world peace To safeguard the independence of countries Encourage reduction of armaments Improve living and working conditions

One of the jobs of the LON was to uphold and enforce the treaties (Versailles, etc.)

Every member country had to sign the covenant – a solemn agreement to abide by the aims and terms of the League, and offer collective security to all.

Article 10 stated members could prevent war by defending the lands and interests of all nations, large or small.

What was the structure?

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Others – dealt with social problems of: Drug abuse Slavery – a success was the challenge of

the use of forced labour to build the Tanganyika railway in Africa, where death rate was reduced from 50% to 4%.

Mandates Commission – kept an eye on the way colonies were run, in particular on those taken from Germany to be run by Great Britain and France.

International Labour Organisation (ILO) – tried to improve working conditions and wages. It brought together employment, governments and workers representatives once a year.

Permanent Court of Justice: Set up in 1921 in Hague, Holland 15 judges – judged the disputes BUT

only when countries requested, and had no way of ensuring that the countries followed its ruling.

Secretariat:

The Civil Service Prepared reports Kept documents

Council:

4 permanent members GB, France, Italy and Japan3 then 10 non-permanent members

Dealt with emergencies Majority vote needed – BUT each permanent

member of the Council had a veto to block a decision, even if all others agreed

The Council had a range of powers Moral condemnation – tell an aggressor to

stop Economic and financial sanctions Military force from member countries –

BUT THIS NEVER HAPPENED

Assembly:

Where all members met All had one vote Met once a year from Sept-Dec Fixed budget Elect non-permanent members from

the Security Council Unanimous vote needed

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What were the weaknesses in the League’s structure?

1. LON was tied in with the faults of the peace treaties.

2. Constitutional Defects - Assembly only met once a year, and the Council 3 or 4 times. Power of veto blocked important decisions.

3. It was only a League of SOME nations – mainly white and winners of WWI.

The USA never joined – a MAJOR weakness. Wilson lost vote in Congress to ratify the treaty and join the LON. From 1920 Republicans were in power - they wanted isolation from Europe and to stay out of disputes.

USA also had a large number of immigrants who opposed treaties and LON.

Many in America felt the economic structure would ruin business, and that USA could have to support British and French colonies.

Germany – not let in until 1926; left in 1933 under HitlerItaly – left in 1936 over AbyssiniaUSSR – let in in 1934; expelled 1939

France and Britain were the only great powers throughout.

4. LON didn’t offer collective security especially as it had a lack of power – it had no army or police force. Harshest punishment for aggressions would be sanctions.

What were the League’s successes in the 1920s?1. LON was initially successful – helped sort out the chaos of the First World War.

Fridjoft Nansen helped return about 400,000 prisoners of war and refugees to their own countries.

2. ILO – drew up agreements on such matters as freedom for workers to join trade unions. Tried to abolish slave labour. It limited the hours small children were allowed to work.

3. Health Committee – helped to fight diseases, such as typhus in Russia in the 1920s. It also worked hard to defeat leprosy, and campaigned to exterminate mosquitoes which reduced cases of malaria.

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“The Gap in the Bridge” – USA’s absence was a

major weakness


4. Illegal sale of firearms was checked, and trade in dangerous drugs controlled.

5. Helped countries with loans to develop industry and trade, e.g. Austria 1923.

Therefore, social problems were helped in the 1920s.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK - CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER

1. Which of these countries was not a member of the LON Council?

Britain France Germany Italy Japan

2. Which country was let in in 1926?

Britain France USSR Germany USA

3. Who never joined the League, creating one of its major weaknesses?

Britain Germany USA Japan Italy

4. Who were the two key powers who remained throughout the League’s existence?

Germany Italy Britain Belgium France

5. Who left in 1936 over the Abyssinian crisis?

Germany Italy Abyssinia Japan USSR

6. Where were the League’s headquarters?

Britain France Italy Belgium Switzerland

Why was the LON successful at peace-making in the 1920s?LON was good at settling small disputes, if countries were willing to accept decisions.

Successes:1. Aaland Islands 1921 – disputed island between Sweden and Finland – both sides

threatened war. LON said islands should go to Finland. Sweden accepted decision.

2. Yugoslavia/Albania 1920 – League stopped Yugoslavia invading Albania.

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3. In 1920 the League portioned Upper Silesia between Germany and Poland, after a plebiscite (vote) in the area.

Why were there failures at peace-making in the 1920s?LON was powerless when a country was determined to fight, e.g.:

1. Vilna 1919 – had once been the capital of Lithuania, but most people were Polish. When Lithuania became independent in 1919 it claimed Vilna. Poland used force and seized the city. The League protested, but allowed the Conference of Ambassadors to award the city to Poland.

2. Corfu Incident 1923 – is a VERY significant failure for the League. Italian soldiers employed by the Conference of Ambassadors to mark out the border between Abyssinia and Greece were murdered by bandits in Greece. The Italian leader, Mussolini, demanded 50 million Lire compensation. Greece asked the League to investigate but Italy refused to accept this and invaded Corfu. The Conference of Ambassadors ordered Greece to accept Mussolini’s demands. This was a huge blow for the LON as Italy was a Council member!

3. Ruhr 1923 – Germany fell behind with reparations payments. Instead of going to the League to solve the problem, France invaded the Ruhr. France was a Council member!

4. Greece/Bulgaria 1925 – During a border dispute, some Greek soldiers were killed. Greece invaded Bulgaria. The LON ordered Greece to withdraw and pay damages. Although Greece obeyed, they did complain that there seemed to be one rule for the large states (such as Italy) and another for the smaller ones (such as themselves).

LON efforts at disarmament in the 1920sIn the 1920s the League largely failed in bringing about disarmament. At Washington Naval Conference 1921, Japan, Great Britain and the USA agreed to limit the size of their navies.

In 1923 the League attempted a Disarmament Treaty, but it was rejected by Great Britain because it would tie it to defending other countries.

By 1926 plans were made for Disarmament Conference, and in 1933 when Conference was due to meet – it was rejected by Germany.

Disarmament also failed in early 1930s. In 1932 Hoover (USA) suggested all armies should be cut by a third; Ramsey McDonald (GB) stated armies should be no more than 200,000.

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In 1933 Hitler pulled Germany out of talks as no agreement could be reached, and also quit LON and rearmed Germany. BUT! International agreements outside the LON meant disarmament failures

in the 1920s were not so worrying, e.g.:

Locarno Treaties 1925/1926: France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia met.

Germany accepted its borders with France and Belgium, and Rhineland was to be demilitarised. Great Britain and Italy guaranteed to protect France if Germany violated the borders.

Germany and France agreed to settle disputes through LON. Germany would not use force to change borders with Czechs and Poles.

France was really happy with the agreement and Germany was allowed into LON in 1926.

Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928

65 countries (including USA) signed the pact to –

a) Condemn warb) Settle disputes peacefully

Countries would keep their armies for self-defence only.

By the end of the 1920s, it seemed the world was a safer place than at the beginning of the decade – and the LON had helped this!

MATCH THE ANSWER TO THE DEFINITION

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A cartoon commenting on the failure of disarmament

The signing of the Kellogg-Briand Pact

Disputed land awarded by the LON to Finland in 1921; Sweden accepted the decision.

The former capital of Lithuania, awarded to Poland in 1919.

Italian leader who invaded Corfu in 1923.

A vote in which the people of a country have their say on a particular policy or law

Country which invaded the Ruhr after Germany fell behind with reparations

The year in which the Locarno Treaties were signed

The year in which Germany left the LON, under Hitler

1925

France

1933

Aaland Islands

Vilna

Mussolini

Plebiscite


How did the Wall Street Crash affect the LON?USA had also helped the German economy by lending money to them to help pay their reparations in the Dawes Plan (1924) and Young Plan (1929). Countries were trading with each other and by doing so were less likely to go to war. Even so, a worrying financial world system had developed:

This worked well until the Wall Street Crash occurred in October 1929…

The Wall Street Crash led to:

Fewer US loans to Europe Unemployment – less industry Some countries using tariffs to protect their

own industries Less international trade and money Tension between countries!

In the countries, it also led to:

In Germany, Hitler came to power as a result of the depression in Germany (see later notes)

Great Britain suffered high unemployment, and was not willing to get involved in sorting out international disputes

France began building defences on its border with Germany USA was unwilling to support economic sanctions while its own trade was in a mess.

BUT actions of Japan and Italy were going to cause huge problems and be major reasons for the failure of the LON.

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Lent money

Paid war debts

Paid reparations

AMERICA

GREAT BRITAIN & FRANCE

GERMANY


TOPIC TEST 1 – The League of Nations in the 1920s

1. What were the four aims of the League of Nations?1.2.3.4.

2. Fill in the table with key facts about the League of Nations.

Part of the League

Key facts

Assembly

Council and its powers

ILO

Mandates

Court of Justice

Secretariat

3. What were the four main weaknesses of the League?

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4. Fill out the table below, showing key successes and failures of the League in the 1920s.

Successes FailuresInternational disputes

Disarmament

Other issues

5. What were the Locarno Treaties?

6. When did Germany join the League?

7. What was in the Kellogg-Briand Pact?

8. What were the Dawes and Young Plans? What were they supposed to do?

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Remember to explain WHY it was

a success/failure


9. What was the Wall Street Crash?

10. List five consequences of the Wall Street Crash.

The League of Nations in the 1930s

Why did Japan attack Manchuria?

The Wall Street Crash in 1929 America hit most of the world badly. There was less international trade, and countries put up tariffs to protect their own industries. The depression hit Japan badly. They lacked raw materials and their main export - SILK - was not needed by other countries. Army leaders had much control over the Japanese empire by force.

Manchuria in China was a likely target, as it had:1. Raw materials2. Japanese soldiers in the area controlling the South Manchurian Railway

In September 1931, Japanese soldiers claimed that Chinese soldiers had sabotaged the railway. In retaliation they over ran Manchuria in February 1932, and then set up a puppet government in Manchukuo – its new name. Later in 1932 the Japanese bombed Shanghai.

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Why did the LON fail in Manchuria?China appealed to the League but Japan claimed it was not invading as an aggressor, rather that it was simply ‘settling a local difficulty’. Japan argued that China was in such a state of anarchy that they had to invade in self-defence to keep the peace in the area. Japan was a Council member of the League.

What did the League do?

The LON’s response was SLOW! The League’s officials, led by Lord Lytton, took a year to present their report (September 1932). It stated that Japan was in the wrong and had acted unlawfully - Manchuria should be returned to the Chinese!

BUT!

February 1933 - Japan announced its intention to invade more of China – for self-defence reasons!

24th February 1933 - LON approved the Lytton report by 42 to 1 in the Assembly 27th March 1933 – Japan resigned from the LON and then invaded the Jehol province

of ChinaWhat could the League do now?

It was powerless. They discussed economic sanctions, but without America, Japan’s main trading partner, they would be meaningless. Britain seemed more interested in keeping up good relationships with Japan than agreeing to sanctions.

Britain and France did not want to risk their navies or armies in a war with Japan. Only USA or USSR would have had the resources to remove the Japanese from Manchuria by force, and they were not even members of the League!

The League failed China.

Many excuses were given:

The significance of the Manchurian crisis was obvious.

As many critics predicted, the League was powerless if a strong nation decided to pursue an aggressive policy and invade its neighbours. Japan had committed blatant aggression and got away with it.

Back in Europe, both Hitler and Mussolini observed with interest. Soon they followed Japan’s example…

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“Japan is so far away…”

“China was in a state of anarchy…”

“Japan was a special case…”

A 1933 cartoon showing Japan using the League as a door-mat, while ‘face-

saving’ makeup is applied.


FILL IN THE GAPS

Like many countries around the world, Japan was hit badly by the _____________________. Japan’s main industry, __________, was suffering because it wasn’t needed by other countries. Japan saw __________________ as a prime target for invasion as it was rich in ___________________________ (which Japan badly needed), and Japanese soldiers already controlled the South Manchurian Railway there.

When Japan overran Manchuria in 1931, China appealed for help from the ____________________, but Japan claimed it was acting in self-defence. Significantly, Japan was a ________________ member. The League’s report into the crisis took a year, and it decided that Manchuria should be returned to _______________. However, rather than accept this decision, Japan left the League in March __________ and went on to invade more of China.

The Manchurian crisis demonstrated that if a country was determined to be aggressive, then the League was powerless to stop them. The only two countries who might have been strong enough to forcibly remove the Japanese from Manchuria were __________ and __________ - but neither were members of the League!

Why did Italy invade Abyssinia?Another fatal blow to the League of Nations came when the Italian dictator Mussolini invaded Abyssinia in 1935. Like Japan, Italy was a council member of the League, but had suffered from the effects of the Wall Street Crash and wanted to expand its empire by invading another country.

This time, the League couldn’t give the excuse that this problem was in an inaccessible part of the world - Italy bordered France, and Abyssinia bordered British colonies in Africa.

THE LON WOULD HAVE TO ACT – WOULDN’T IT?

Italian troops had tried to invade Abyssinia back in 1896 but had been defeated. Mussolini wanted revenge, glory and the fertile lands and mineral wealth of Abyssinia.

In December 1934 there was a dispute at the Wal Wal Oasis, 50 miles inside Abyssinia. This gave Mussolini the excuse he needed to prepare for attack, and he demanded an apology for what he called a problem on ‘Italian territory’. In January 1935, the Abyssinian leader Hailie Selassie appealed to the League for help.

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During this time Mussolini talked to the LON, but also shipped a vast army to Africa.

Great Britain and France were desperate to keep good relations with Mussolini, who they thought would be a good ally against the threat of

Hitler.

In April 1935, Great Britain, France and Italy had signed a friendship agreement known as the Stresa Pact.

Abyssinia was not a worry that Great Britain and France seemed to be taking seriously. But as 1935 wore on, the public in Britain supported the use of military force to defend Abyssinia if necessary. In time for the election in Autumn 1935, British politicians started to ‘talk tough’ and the British Foreign Minister Hoare spoke to the League about the collective security – However, there was a lot of talk BUT no action.

In October 1935 Mussolini launched a full scale attack on Abyssinia. It was a clear case of a large, powerful state attacking a small one.

The League could impose sanctions and a committee was set up to agree on what sanctions to use. The LON imposed an immediate ban on

arms sales to Italy, loans, rubber, tin and metals, BUT delayed a decision on whether to ban oil. They feared USA wouldn’t support it, and it would harm their own economic interests: for example, Britain stated 30,000 British coal miners would lose their jobs because of coal to Italy.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, the LON didn’t close down the SUEZ CANAL (owned by Great Britain and France) which made the journey for Italian troops to enter Abyssinia easy.

This failure was fatal for Abyssinia.

Worryingly, Britain and France were also secretly making deals. In December 1935, Hoare and Laval (British and French Foreign Secretaries) said they would give Mussolini two thirds of Abyssinia if he agreed to call off his invasion. Laval even proposed to show the plan to Mussolini before they showed it to either the LON or to Hailie Selassie!

Details of the plan were leaked to the French press. Hoare and Laval were sacked, and Britain and France were seen as undertaking a blatant act of treachery against the League. Hailie Selassie demanded an immediate debate in the League, but this put off talks about sanctions, especially about oil.

In February 1936 the LON stated oil supplies in Italy would be exhausted even if America was supplying them.

BUT IT WAS TOO LATE! - MUSSOLINI HAD ALREADY TAKEN OVER LARGE PARTS OF ABYSSINIA

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PHASE ONE

Jan 1935 – Oct 1935

PHASE TWO

Oct 1935– May 1936


…And USA actually stepped up oil exports to Italy, because of Britain’s and France’s differing.

In March 1936 another fatal blow was delivered…

Hitler – timing his move to perfection – marched his troops into the Rhineland. France was no longer too worried about putting sanctions on Italy, because it wanted Italy’s support –

and it was prepared to give Abyssinia to Mussolini!

But Britain and France “giving over” Abyssinia didn’t win them Mussolini’s friendship against Hitler.

In November 1936, Mussolini and Hitler signed an agreement called the Rome-Berlin Axis.

Italy continued to defy the LON – by May 1936 it had taken Addis Ababa, the capital of Abyssinia. On May 2nd Hailie Selassie resigned as emperor and left the country, and on May 9th Italy took over the whole of Abyssinia.

The League had failed. Collective security had failed.

Hitler would be the next to take over lands… the hopes of the League had vanished!

COMPLETE THE TIMELINE

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November 1936:March 1936: Hitler put troops in the

Rhineland. Suddenly the crisis in Abyssinia was no longer France’s and

Britain’s biggest problem!

October 1935:January 1935:

May 1936:

December 1935:

April 1935:

December 1934: There was a dispute

at the Wal Wal Oasis. Mussolini seized this

as an excuse to invade Abyssinia.

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Therefore, in the 1930s the LON failed because:

F A I L U R E:

COUNTRIES LOOKED AFTER THEIR OWN INTERESTS

Germany was affected because of the Wall Street Crash.

Industries couldn’t sell abroad, so many factories closed Huge unemployment – 3 million in Sept 1930; over 5 million by Sept 1932 In 1931 the German bank DARMSTADER went bust

ALL OF THIS PLAYED INTO THE POLITICAL HANDS OF EXTREMISTS

ADOLF HITLER promised jobs and appealed to many groups in society, who saw him as a strong leader – one who could lead Germany out of depression.

Hitler came into power in 1933 and left the LON the same year as disarmament conference failed. He saw how Japan had taken advantage of the LON’S weaknesses in Manchuria, and aggressively changed Germany. He overturned the Peace Treaty of Versailles (TOV) and went against the LON by rearming and taking over:

RHINELAND, 1936

AUSTRIA, 1938

SUDETENLAND, 1938

CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1939

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R e aching decisions too

slowly:

In Manchuria they took a

year to complete their

report.

They also took too long in Abyssinia, giving Italy

time to stockpile raw

materials.

U nfair treaty:

Germany hated the ToV, which fuelled Hitler’s desire to reclaim lost lands. By the 1930s, even

Britain thought the treaties were unfair and allowed Germany to build up its

navy.

L ack of armed forces:

In Manchuria, the LON could

not send forces as it

was impossible to

reach. In Abyssinia, GB

and France refused to

send in their forces.

I neffective sanctions:

Sanctions should have

been imposed on Japan, but the LON took

too long to decide. In

Abyssinia, the Suez Canal remained

open and oil was still

supplied.

A bsent powers:

Key countries (e.g. USA) were not members.

The US did not stop trading with Japan

and continued to supply oil

to Italy.

F rench and British self-

interest:

In Manchuria, they refused to risk their

armies in another war.

In Abyssinia, they kept

open the Suez Canal and continued trading oil.


TOPIC TEST 2 – The League of Nations in the 1930s

1. What problems did Japan have in the early 1930s?

2. Why was Manchuria a likely target for Japanese expansion?

3. What happened in 1931?

4. What did Japan do in February 1932?

5. How did the League respond to the crisis?

6. How did Japan react to the League?

7. Give two reasons why the LON failed in the Manchurian Crisis.

8. Why did Italy want to invade Abyssinia?

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9. What happened in December 1934, and how did Mussolini react?

10. Who was the Abyssinian leader, and what did he do?

11. What happened in October 1935?

12. What was the Hoare-Laval Plan?

13. Why were Britain and France keen to stay friendly with Mussolini?

14. What was the outcome of the crisis in Abyssinia?

15. Give five reasons why the League failed in the 1930s.

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