why did the league fail in its aim to keep peace?
TRANSCRIPT
Why did the League fail in Why did the League fail in its aim to keep peace?its aim to keep peace?
Organisational problemsOrganisational problems
Unanimous decisions impracticalUnanimous decisions impractical Did not meet often enoughDid not meet often enough Took too long to make decisionsTook too long to make decisions
MembershipMembership
Important nations absent:Important nations absent: USA never joinedUSA never joined Germany joined 1926 but left 1933Germany joined 1926 but left 1933 Japan left in 1933Japan left in 1933 Italy in 1937Italy in 1937
SanctionsSanctions
Economic sanctions not effective, Economic sanctions not effective, particularly with absence of USA.particularly with absence of USA.
No army - individual countries No army - individual countries reluctant to commit troopsreluctant to commit troops
Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles
League bound to uphold the terms League bound to uphold the terms of the Treaty.of the Treaty.
Treaty seen increasingly as unfairTreaty seen increasingly as unfair
The will to make it workThe will to make it work
Idealism after WW1 soon disappearedIdealism after WW1 soon disappeared Britain and France not best suited to Britain and France not best suited to
lead the League… in fact they Acted lead the League… in fact they Acted against the League (Hoare-Laval Pact)against the League (Hoare-Laval Pact)
Depression allowed aggressive Depression allowed aggressive individuals to gain support at home individuals to gain support at home e.g. Hitler, Mussolinie.g. Hitler, Mussolini
League seemed powerless to react.League seemed powerless to react.
In defence of the LeagueIn defence of the League
Once USA did not Once USA did not join Britain and join Britain and France were not France were not strong enough strong enough themselves.themselves.
Depression Depression altered political altered political climate - it was climate - it was nobody’s faultnobody’s fault
No organisation could No organisation could have stopped have stopped aggressive aggressive individuals such as individuals such as Hitler and Mussolini.Hitler and Mussolini.
Were put in a position Were put in a position of defending a peace of defending a peace settlement that many settlement that many saw as unfair.saw as unfair.
Against the LeagueAgainst the League
Manchurian crisis - Manchurian crisis - the League should the League should have resisted have resisted JapanJapan
Members did not Members did not keep to the rules. keep to the rules. When challenged When challenged they just left the they just left the League e.g. Japan, League e.g. Japan, Germany and ItalyGermany and Italy
No strong No strong leadershipleadership
Too slow to make Too slow to make decisionsdecisions
All main members All main members guilty of secret guilty of secret alliancesalliances
Aggressive Aggressive individuals weren’t individuals weren’t dealt withdealt with