The League of Nations

after WW1

everyone wanted avoid
repeating same situation

agreed League of Nations

organisation resolving international
problems without fighting

would help achieve it

disagreement about the
kind of organisation

wanted world parliament

all nations represenatives

getting together regularly

his idea won

had drafted very ambitious plan

League

all major nations would join

they would disarm

would take disputes with other
countries to it

would accept decisions
made by League

would protect one another

other members would stop
trading with it

send troops if necessary

some people

worried by his idealism

angered by his arrogant style

wanted simple organisation

getting together in emergencies

wanted strong League

with own army

before USA joining League

idea not so popular

people thought

League was supposed to
enforce Treaty of Versailles

inextricably linked to it

worried about economic cost of joining in

like signing black cheque

USA promising send troops to settle
every little conflict

wanted to stay out of disputes

League would be under Britain
and France control

opposed idea of Colonies and Empires

didn´t agree on safeguarding
their colonial possessions

powerful opposition

joined by Wilson's opponents

Wilson took proposal back
to Congress

the idea couldn´t make it trough

USA never joined League

Aims

Discourage agression

Encourage countries to co-operate

business and trade

Encourage nations to disarm

Improve living and working conditions

Structure

smaller group

met more often

Temporary members

elected by Assembly

3 years period

Permanent members

Britain
France
Italy
Japan

had a VETO

could stop Council acting

even if all members agreed

if healthy disscusion
didn´t work

could use range of powers

Moral condemnation

decided which country
was the agressor

condemned its action
tell it to stop

Economic-Financial sanctions

members of League

refused trading
with Agressor

Military force

armed forces of members

could be used
against agressor

League´s Parliament

representative of each member

only met once a year

recommend action to the Council

vote on

admiting new member to League

appointing temporary members

Council

the budget of the League

other ideas

put forward by Council

all unanimous decisions

based at Netherlands

judges from
member countries

took decisions on

border disputes

between countries

gave legal advice

Assembly and Council

no way making sure its ruling
was being followed

brought together

employers

governments

workers´representatives

once a year

improve working conditions

collected statistics-information

persuade countries

adopt its suggestions

civil service

kept League meetings
records

prepared reports for
its agencies

had speacialist sections

health

disarmament

economic matters

Commissions

made sure Britain and France

acted in interests of
mandates´people

not in own ones

The Refugees Commitee

helped refugees return
back home

after WW1

The Slavery Commission

for abolishing slavery
around world

The Health Commitee

for dealing with dangerous
diseases

educating people about
health and sanitation

Border Disputes

treaties signed at Paris
Peace Conference

created new states

changed some borders

League´s job

sort out border disputes

Poland and Lithuania

new created states

Vilna was made
Lithuania's capital

its population largely Polish

private Polish army
took control of it

Lithuania asked for help

both countries members
of League

Poland clearly agressor

didn´t withdraw

British and French troops

supposed to be sent

force Poles out

French didnt want
upset Poland

possible future ally

against Germany

Britain not prepared

going alone

League did nothing

Poles kept Vilna

industrial region between
Germany and Poland

inhabitated by both people

both countries wanted
control of it

rich iron-steel industry

organised plebiscite

Silesians voted which
country to join

industrial areas

Germany

rural areas

Poland

League divided region
along these lines

both accepted the decision

Sweden and Finland

control of Aaland Islands

midway between them both

both threatening to
fight for them

appealed to League

studied the case

decided islands should
go to Finland

Sweden accepted decision

war was avoided

islands disputed

Greece
Albania

The Conference of Ambassadors

appointed Italian
general

Tellini

to supervise

Tellini and his team

ambushed and killed

Italina leader
furious

blamed Greek government

demanded that it
pay compensation to Italy

and execute murderers

Mussolini bombarded
and occupied

Greek islands of
Corfu

15 people killed

Greece asked for help

League condemned
Mussolini´s actions

Greece had to pay

money would be held by League

until murderers
were found

Mussolini withdrew
from Corfu

Greek troops

invaded Bulgaria

incident on border

some Greek
soldiers killed

asked for help

condemned Greek action

ordered to pull out
and pay compensation

obeyed

facing disapproval
from major powers

A better world

helped refugees and formal
prisioners of war

going back home

first few years
after WW1

helped 400,000 prisioners
returning home

banned poisonous
white lead from paint

limited small children
working hours

campaigned for employers
improving working conditions

introduced resolutiom

48-hour week
8-hour day

made recommendations on
marking shipping lanes

produced international highway
code for road users

blacklisted four
huge companies

involved in illegal
drug trade

freed 200,000 slaves

organised raids against slave
owners and traders in Burma

kept careful records
on what was going on

provided information in
determined problems