History

• If there were any issues, the League of Nations would resolve them without a war

• World peace

• Improve unemployment and the quality of life

• Abolish slavery

• Enfore the Treaty of Versailles

• America didn't join
  • The people of America wanted isolationism
• Woodrow Wilson died shortly after the formation of the League
• Russia didn't join
  • They had a big army and lots of money
  • Better to have Russia as an ally than an opponent
• Germany wasnt allowed to join
  • Angered Germany
    • If they got powerful, they'd start a war
• No specific army
• Structure of the League
• Didn't meet regularly
• Reliant on countries' generosity
• Manchuria and Abyssinia

SCACHIRMS

Secretariat

• Co-ordinate the functions of the League
• Too few secretaries to do the work
  • Slow and inefficient

Council

• Met 4 - 5 times a year
• 5 permanent members
  • Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Germany

Assembly

• The League's main meeting held once a year
• Decisions made only by unanimous vote

Committees (CHIRMS)

Court of international justice

Health committee

International labour organisation

Refugees committee

Mandates commission

Slavery commission

• The Dispute
  • In the 1930s there was a worldwide economic depression
  • Japan decided to expand their empire to overcome the depression
  • They invaded Manchuria and threw out the Chinese
  • Set up their own government in Manchuria and called it the Manchoukuo
  • China asked the League to help
• What the League did
  • The League set up a group of officials to study the invasion - headed by Lord Lytton
  • It took a year before the League ordered Japan to leave (1933)
• Outcome
  • Japan refused to leave Manchuria, and instead, left the League
  • None of the countries stopped trading with Japan or even agreed on sanctions so Japan stayed in Manchuria.

• The Dispute
  • Mussolini got ready to invade Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for war and glory
  • Abyssinia asked the League to help
• What the League did
  • The League talked with Mussolini but he used the time to send an army to Africa
  • The League suggested a plan to give part of Abyssinia to Italy
• The Outcome
  • Mussolini ignored the League, and invaded Abyssinia
  • The League banned weapons sales, and put sanctions on rubber and metal
  •  Selassie went to the League to appeal for help, but it did nothing else
  • Britain and France secretly agreed to give Abyssinia to Italy (the Hoare-Laval Pact)
  • Italy conquered Abyssinia

• 60 countries were members by 1930s
• At one point, Italy and Japan were in (these were strong countries)
• Abolished slavery
• Improved the quality of lives