League of Nations

Council - met 3x year, 5 permanent members (GB,Franch,Italy,Japan) took important decisions

Assembly - met once a year, representatives of all members

Covenant - agreement all members signed, included not using force to settle disagreements

Sanctions - Economic Sanctions (banned trade), Military Sanctions (declaration of war by each member)

Council of Ambassadors - often took decisions cos council & assembly met occasionally

Secretary-General - in charge of administration (Secretariate)

• Aaland Islands - Finland Vs Sweden
• Border dispute - GreeceVs Bulgaria
• tackled slave trade & diseases
• 1920s successful solving series minor disputes
• support most major countries

• Russia not allowed to join after Communist revolution 1917
• USA not join though Wilson's idea, Congress voted against
• Germnay not allowed to join (1926 became member)
• Corfu incident 1923 - Mussolini occupied Corfu owned by Greece, forced to back down but no sanctions applied
• seen as club for victors of WW1, mostly European, headquarters in Geneva
• no army, relied on member countries declaring war
• determination of dictators to ignore it

• policy of ISOLATIONISM
• feared would be drawn into other European/international conflicts
• Congress said no
• many Americans doubted League
• Republican party against it main issue 1920 presidential campaign

Why Japan invaded China?

• Japan failed gain territory expected at Versailles
• 1920s revival of traditional Japanese ideas
• 1920s population increase, rice & silk prices fell
• living space for growing pop. & raw materials e.g. oil

What:

• 18th Sept. 1931 Japan owned railway blow up at Mukden
• 1931 Japanese invaded Manchuria (Chinese province) - claimed in self defence
• 1932 Japanese gov. under army control, began period territorial expansion on mainland
• 1932 Japanese set up puppet state of Manchukuo, last emperor of China, P'u-i leader
• League Commission of Inquiry, Earl of Lytton, Oct. Lytton Commission: no evidence Japanese acted in self defence recommended Manchuria return Chinese control
• Japanese ignored report & condemnation, reigned from League 1933
• Major blow to League, failed to act effectively, Japan was a permanent member of Council

• Lytton & League took 1 yr for report & recommendations
  - showed slow to act & indecisive
• GB feared impact on S.E. Asian trade.
• Nations reluctant affect own economies during Great Depression
• US & USSR not member so could continue trade with Japan - stealing Brit & French markets
  - showed reluctant to impose economic sanctions
• WW1 fresh in mind
• on other side of world to GB & France, how could mount force great enough
  - showed reluctant to impose military sanctions
• inaction against Japan, influence needed on security council
  - showed reluctance to stand up to aggression
• Japan left League
  - weakened its strength
  - Mussolini incouraged not be hindered if invaded Abyssinia

What:

• 3rd Oct. 1935 Italian forces invaded African state of Abyssinia
• early 1936 Mussolini ordered use of poison gas + italian air power - collapse Abyssinian forces
• May 1936 captial Addis Ababa occupied, Emperor Haile Selassie fled to GB
• Abyssina annexed by Italy, King of Italy became Emperor of Abyssinia

Why:

• Mussolini wated revenge for humiliation, 1895 Italy tried to invade suffered humiliating defeat
• wanted empire, dreams recreating Ancient Roman Empire, Abyssina easy target, already occupied neighbouring Eritrea
• wanted to shift piblic opinion away from failures of his domestic policies, he was increasingly unpopluar

Significance:

• Italy Permanent Member of Council of League, deliberate aggression
  - severely weakened authority of League
  (Japan & Germany already resigned)
• Sanctions