How successful was the League of Nations

How successful was the League of Nations

1. Vilna 1920

   • Poland-Lithuania
   • Polish army simply took capital of new state Lithuania
     • League protested but Poland did nothing
       • French did not want to upset Poland (ally against Germany)
         • Britain did not want to act alone
           • League of Nations did nothing
   • -5

2. Aaland Islands 1921

   • 5
   • Sweden-Finland
   • Both wanted control of islands, in-between their territories
     • Threatened to fight
       • League of Nations said islands should go to Finland
         • Sweden accepted

3. Returned about 100,000 prisoners of war to their homeland

4. Defeated Leprosy and reduced malaria by exterminating mosquitos

5. Freed 200,000 slaves in sierra Leone and blacklisted companies in illegal drug trade

6. Banned poisonous white lead and limited working hours

7. Germany and France still arguing

8. Little progress in disarment (except Germany)

9. Countries still did not trust each other

10. Upper Silesia 1921

    • 5
    • Germany-Poland
    • Germany and Poland both wanted Upper Silesia, mix of Polish and Germans and had iron and steel industry
      • Vote was taken
        • Rural ares voted Poland, Industrial areas voted German
          • Area was split
            • Safeguards put in place
              • Sharing of power and rail links

11. Corfu 1923

    • -2
    • Greece-Albania
    • 5 Italian surveyors killed by Greeks on the border
      • Mussolini furious
        • Italy invaded Corfu
          • Greeks went to League of Nations
            • Britain and France did not want to upset Italians
              • Greeks had to apologise and pay compensation

12. Bulgaria 1925

    • 4
    • Greece-Bulgaria
    • Greeks were killed at a fight at the border
      • Greece invaded Bulgaria
        • The Greeks were forced to pay compensation and leave Bulgaria
          • Faced with Disapproval, Greece accepted
            • They complained there was one rule for large states and another for smaller states

13. No USA

14. No real power

15. Decisions took time and had to be unanimous