the league of nations

By Mr. Fitzsimmons at www.activehistory.co.uk

The League of Nations

What were its aims and goals?1. According to its ______________ or “rule book” or

constitution, the League aimed to “promote international co-operation and to achieve international peace and security”.

2. It aimed to do this in a number of ways:a. Political: Discourage aggression or war through diplomatic

setttlements or as a group through___________ security, and no international secret ___________ between countries.

b. Military: Encourage world ________________c. Social: Improve ___________ and ____________ conditions

for the lower classes.d. Economic: Co-operation between countries through

___________ and commerce.

By Mr. Fitzsimmons at www.activehistory.co.uk

How was the League organised ?

How would the League keep the peace ?

If one country were aggressive to another, the League would force the aggressor to back down by:• Pressure of world __________ against them• World trade ban or economic ____________• Force if necessary (though the League had no army)

What the members were promising to do was to take common action to defend each other in the event of an attack. This was called COLLECTIVE SECURITY.

An optimistic view of the League

Weaknesses of the League…

Weaknesses of the League…

• Certain key nations did not join (e.g. USA) – others left (Germany, 1933; Russia joined in 1934, left 1941; Japan left 1932; Italy left 1936)

• It had no real power to enforce decisions – relied on goodwill and persuasion

• No permanent military force• Economic sanctions did not work• Failed to achieve disarmament of

all nations in the 1930s (one of the 4 principal aims of the League)

• Interference by the Conference of Ambassadors (set up in 1919)

• Decision-making was slow because both Assembly and Council required unanimous votes to take action – sometimes aggressive countries had already been successful before the League got round to action

• Certain key members of the Council could veto action (e.g. Italy (1935-6) and Japan (1931-2)

• Neither Britain nor France gave the League their full support - they were more worried about their own empires and trade, particularly during the World Economic Crisis, 1929-35

Strengths?

• 42 nations joined• A clear Covenant (constitution) and defined

organization• Had the power to impose sanctions• A major step toward a revolutionary new idea:

collective security

Successes?Work of the League’s commissions – particularly refugees, drug trafficking, slavery :• Turkey: refugee camps were set up and given medicines and food (Armenian

genocide)• Russia and Germany: 400,000 ex-prisoners of war were repatriated (returned

home)• Typhus: An outbreak of typhus in the USSR was successfully contained• Lead additives in paint were banned• Sierra Leone persuaded to release 200,000 slaves

International Labour Organisation – campaigning for improved working and pay conditions• Several countries were persuaded to adopt a forty-eight-hour working week

Border disputes in:• Upper Silesia in 1921• Aaland Islands dispute, 1921• Greek invasion of Bulgaria in 1925

What is the message of this cartoon?