League of Nation in the 1920's

League of Nation in the 1920's

1. Aims

   • Political
     • discourage aggression through collective security
   • Military
     • encourage world disarmament
   • Social
     • improve living and working conditions
   • Economic
     • get countries to co-operate rather than compete in business and trade

2. Membership

   • Aim: have a broad membership
     • Weakness: quality of membership
       • Germany / USSR not allwoed to join
       • USA refused to join (return to isolationism
       • Britain and France are too weak to lead
     • Strength: quantity of membership
       • 42 members in 1919
       • 65 members in 1939

3. Structure

   • Aim: to be efficient and effective
     • Failures
       • No army = weak
       • Urgent matters require a unanimous decision = time consuming
     • Successes
       • Administration = clear
         • Assembly
           • between 42 and 65 members
           • every member has one vote and up to 3 representatives
           • a majority vote was sufficient = quick, effective
           • met once a year to review the Council's activities and discuss plans, procedure and membership
         • Council
           • 4 permanent members = Britain, France, Itlay and Japan ; 10 temporary members eleceted from time to time by the Assembly
           • met up to 5 times a year to discuss urgent issues as they arose
           • every member had just one vote
         • International Court of Justice
           • Permanently available
           • 15 judges elected by the Council and Assembly
           • investigate international disputes between member nations and decided who was guilty
       • Actions = flexible and scale upwards
         • a. Moral condemnation
           • official, public criticism of the aggressor
         • b. Economic sanctions
           • League members refuse to trade with the aggressor
         • c. Military force
           • League uses its own army to attack the aggressor

4. Borders

   • Aim: settle disputes peacefully
     • Failures
       • Rhur (1923)
         • Situation: France and Belgium invaded the Rhur after Germany failed to pay the latest installement of reparations
           • League's response: do nothing. America interviened and came up with the Dawes plan: Germany pays the reparations over a longer period of time.
       • Bulgaria (1925)
         • Situation: a Greek soldier crossed the Bulgarian border to fetch his stray dog and he was shot down. Greece invaded Bulgaria and the Bulgarians asked for the League's help
           • League's response: Greece were ordered to withdraw and recieved no compensation When Italy invaded a Greek port after one of theirs was shot, they recieved compensation (double standards)
     • Successes
       • Aaland Islands (1921)
         • Situation: Finland and Sweden both wanted control of the islands, as they were an important strategic position. They ask the League who should own them
           • League's response: give the islands to Finland, but they remain permanently demilitarised. Peaceful solution still in place today
       • Teschen (1919)
         • Situation: Poland and Czechoslovakia both want control of the small mining town rich in coal.
           • League's solution: give Poland more land space in the town, but the area Czechoslovakia recieve is richer in coal. Creative solution that kept both countries happy.

5. Social Affairs

   • Aim: to improve working and living conditions
     • ILO
       • Problem: terrible working conditions create social distress, which could lead to communist revlutionaires gaining support
         • Solution: Banned lead from white paint
     • WHO (World Health Organisation)
       • Problem 1: malaria was killing lots of people in African mandates
         • Solution 1: an extermination program to contain malaria began
       • Problem 2: typhus epidemic in the USSR. Didn't want it to reach Europe
         • Solution 2: contain the epidemic in the USSR by providing medical support to the European border
     • Refugee Org.
       • Problem: lots of Russians were against communism and were feeling to Europe
         • Solution: hand out Nansen passports (temporary European passports) to Russian immigrants. Over 450 000 passports were handed out
     • Slavery Org.
       • Problem: there was lots of locals enslaved in Sierra Leone
         • Solution: 200 000 slaves were liberated in Sierra Leone

6. Disarmament

   • Aim: promote world disarmament
     • Why were coutries unwilling to disarm?
       • Britain
         • Washington Conference: Britain need a bigger arm from the next to defend her empire
           • Prevents an arms race, but means the production of more ships
       • France
         • Maginaot line: France fortified all the border she shared with Germany
           • felt the need to protect herself
           • production of more weapons and artillerty
       • Germany
         • Rapallo treaties: Germany has a secret agreement with the USSR that said they could produce weapons in Russia
           • Germany were regaining weapons
             • production of more weapons, could lead to war
     • Successes
       • German force reduced to 100 000 men, 6 boats and no aircraft
     • Failures
       • only Germany disarmed,
         • gives them an excuse to rearm
       • Maginot line: France produced more weapons and artillery to reinforce her German border