League of Nations acronyms

Stop war

Improve people’s lives and jobs

Disarmament

Enforce the treaty of Versailles

1. 42 countries joined at first, 60 countries by 1930

 2. USA not a member

 3. USSR not a member– in 1919 they set up Comintern as a rival league

 4. Germany not allowed to join

 5. leading members are Britain, France, Italy and Japan

Court of international justice

Health committee

International labour organisation

Refugees committee

Mandates commission

Slavery commission

Secretariat

Council

Assembly

CHIRMS– committees

 1. Secretariat– acted as a civil service for the league. (made agendas and published reports on meetings). Made up of just 400 people, many deemed it incompetent and too small for the job at hand

 2. Council– met 4-5 times a year. The 4 permanent members– Britain, France, Italy & Japan– have veto over decisions.  

 3. Assembly– with every member of league present, meeting once a year, decisions made by unanimous vote.

Set up by the treaty of Versailles

Universal membership

Means of influence–

countries were held to the covenant that they signed on joining the league,

Moral condemnation (public opinion)

Sanctions (refusal to trade)

Military force

Use of an arbitrator (like an un-biased referee)

 Silesia 1921–

Germany and Poland agreed to share the land

Aaland Islands 1921–

was agreed that they should belong to Finland

Mosul 1924–

Turkey wanted Mosul un Iraq, league supported Iraq and Turks backed off

Bulgaria 1925–

Greece invaded Bulgaria but backed off when league got involved

Other–

400,000 war prisoners repatriated, gave money advice, prevented slavery

Kellogg-Briand pact 1928–

signed by 23 countries to outlaw war

 Vilna 1920–

Poland defied league and didn't leave Vilna

Invasion of the Ruhr 1923-

By France without consulting league– annoyed UK

Memel 1923-

League told Lithu. to leave but were defied by COA

Corfu 1923-

COA overruled league’s decision to force Italy to leave Corfu

Other treaties that failed-

Washington 1921, Dawes plan 1924, Locarno pact 1925, Geneva 1924

Disarmament-

No country wanted to disarm , especially Japan and Britain

1.Manchuria 1931

Japan invaded Chinese Manchuria, league took a year to get a decent report on what was happening.

League voted that Manchuria be returned to china, which caused Japan to leave the league in 1933.

league could not agree on economic sanctions or arms sale ban– looked weak and ineffective. 

2. Abyssinia 1935

Mussolini of Italy invaded  Haile Selassie’s Abyssinia in October 1935, using advanced weaponry on local tribesmen.

Britain and France made the fateful Hoare-Laval pact which gave Italy half of Abyssinia.

League tried to sanction weapons sales, rubber and metals, but failed to close the Suez canal, which UK owned.

Britain and France

USA, USSR and Germany

Structure

Treaty of Versailles set it up

Economic depression

Dictators

Unsuccessful

Powerless

 Britain and France didn't want their armies used and weren't 100 % committed

USA never joined, USSR didn't until 1934, Germany not until 1926, and Hitler left the league in 1933

Structure was cumbersome and decisions were made too slowly

Treaty was hated therefore league was too

E- Countries acted to save themselves without thinking of the league

Dictators like Mussolini and Hitler would not compromise

U- The leagues failures damaged it reputation and made members leave

Powerless because moral condemnation was ignored by most countries, the league had no army, and sanctions were ineffective.