League of Nations

Birth

After FWW

People agreed on having a League of Nations

Organisation to solve international problems (avoid war)

World parliament

won

1919 hopes were high that the League with the USA as a leader would be a powerful peacemaker

The plans were

Major nations would join the League

Problems and disputes would be taken to the League

Countries had to accept the decisions made

Member countries promised to protect each other if invaded

Hope

That citizens of all countries would be so much against war

that this would prevent leaders to go on it

simple organisation for emergencies

strong League with its own army

Body blown to the League

idea of it not popular at all

supposed to

Enforce Treaty of Versailles

Americans with German ancestors hated it

others feared that the USA would sent soldiers all around the world

If League impossed sanctions (stop trading with a country)

Amercan business and trade most affected

People thought that Britain and France would call USA to defend their empires

many Americans were Anti- empires

Critics of Wilson's plans put up opposition to the League

1919 congress voted, Wilson was defeated

Democrats didn't give up

threatened people with the idea of having another war

1920 Wilson was ill

successor made the League a major part of its campaign

Republicans

wanted Amercia to be isolationist

not get involved in inernational alliance

follow its own policy

slogan "Return to normalcy"

they WON

so when the League opened for business in 1920

American chair was empty

the USA never joined

this was a personal rebuff to Wilson and a body blown to the League

Aims

discourage agression of any nation

Encourage countries to co-operate(business and trade)

encourage nations to disarm

improve living and working conditions

settled in Geneva, Switzerland

Mermbership

Britain and France were the most powerful

every action needed their support

guided policy from 1920 to 1930

both weakened by the 1WW

didn't have the resources to fill the gap left by the USA

felt that USA was the only country which could make the League work

The League was a real problem for them

had other prioroties

British politicians were interested on

rebuilding the British trade

looing after their empire

France main concern was Germany

it was worried that the League without its own army was too weak to protect it

Organisation

smaller group than the Assembly

mt 5 or more times a year

Permanent members

in 1920

Britain

France

Japan

Italy

had the right or Veto

temporary members

elected by the Assembly

main idea was that if any problem arose the members

brought the problem to the Council to be sorted out

if this didn't work

Military Forces

armed forces of the members could be used against the agressor

Econocmic and financial sanctions

members could refuse to trade with the agressor

Moral condemnation

they could decide which country was guilty and condenm it

Assembly

the League's parliament

recommend action to the country

vote on

admitting new memebers

apointed temporary members to the Council

budget of the League

decisions unanimous

Scretatriat

sort of civil service

kept records of the League meetings

prepared reports for different agencies

were everything that was written was kept

Permanent Court of International Justice

had a key role on the the League's work on seting disputes peacefully

gave legal advice to Council and Assembly

based at Haugue, court in Netherlands

made up from judges of the different members

if asked it could made decisions upon border disputes

International Labour Organisation

its aim was to improve working condiditons all through the world

brought together employers, goverments and worker's representatives once a year

for this it collected statistics and information bout them

Commissions

Mandates commissions

1WW led to many former colonis of Germany

her allies ended up as the League of Nations mandates ruled by Britain and France

Aim was to make sure the leaders acted according to the mandate's interests

and took care of other group minorities

Refugees Commitee

The 1WW led to many refugees who had fled from conflict areas

League appointed Fridtjft Nansen to help them

return to their homes

find countries to work

Slavery Commissions

worked to abolish slavery all around the world

Particular issue in East Africa where many workers were treated as slaves

Health Commitee

attempted to deal with the problem of dangeroues diseases

and educate people about health and sanitation

1WW brought a rapid development of medicine

collected statistics about health issues

Border disputes in 1920s

Treaties signed at the Paris Peace Conference

Created new states and changed borders of many others

Led to disputes

League's job to solve them

Poland and Lithuania

1920

Poland took control of Vilna (capital of Lithuania)

Lithuania appealed for help to the League

Poland was the aggressor

It did not withdraw

The League did nothing

Failure of the League

Poland kept the territory

France or Britain did not act against Poland

Between Sweden and Finland

Both countries were willing to fight for them

They appealed to the League

After analysing the issue

Said the islands should go to Finland

Sweden accepted the League's decision

War was avoided

Triumph of the League

1923

Island between Greece and Albania

The Conference of Ambassadors was given this job

They sent an Italian general to supervise

Tellini

on 27th of August he was asesinated

On the Greek side

Mussolini was furious

Italian leader

Blamed the greek goverment for the murder

Asked for payment and compensation and execution of murderers

On 31th of August

He bombarded Corfu

Appealed to the League for help

Mussolini's actions were condemned

He accepted the League's decision but got to work secretly in the Conference of Ambassadors

He changed the League's ruling

Greece had to pay/apologize directly to Italy

There was much anger among the League

FAILURE

Pay compensation to Greece

Money held by the League

Only and if Tellini's killers were found

1925

Greek troops invaded Bulgaria

Bulgaria appealed to the League for help

Observers were sent

Judged in favour of bulgarians

Greece had to pay compensations

The greeks obeyed but complained for difference of punishments among countries

Sent instructions to its army

Seen as a major sucess for the League

Upper Silesia

1921

Industrial region on the border between

Poland

Germany

In 1920 Silesians voted on which country they wished to join

Industrial area

voted for Germany

The League divided the territory along these lines

Both countries accepted the decision

Triumph of the League

Rural area

voted for Poland

Drawn up in 1924

By France and Britain

If two members were in dispute they'd have to ask the League

to solve the disagreement

Council's decision had to be respected

Its aim was to strengthen the League

Finally weakened it

Election in Britain

New conservative government

Refused to sign it

Its work for a better world

League aimed to fight poverty, disease and injustice

Refugees

it did a huge work in getting them back to their homes

Nansen Passport make much easier for them to travel across borders

working conditions

The ILO was successful in banning poisonous white lead from paint

reduced hours of work for small children

Transport

League made recommendaions on marking shiping lanes and produced internationaal highway code

Health

Health Committee was one of the most successful of the organisations

Social problems

League blacklisted four large German, Dutch, Swiss and French companies involved in illegal drug-trade

it organised raids against slave owners