The League fo Nations
The birth of the League
When the First World War finished
Everyone wanted to avoid repeating another
Also they agreed in creating League of Nations to avoid wars. There were conflicts on how they could organize it
President Wilson (USA)
Wanted the Legue to be like a world parliament were representatives of all natios
could meet together to discuss probems that involved lll of them
He won
Major natinos would join this one
If they had a dispute with another memeber they would take it ot the League
Promised to accept any decission made by the League
Promised to protect one another if they were inavaded
If any member break the Convenant and go to war
Other members promised to stop trading with it or send troops if necessary to make it stop fighting
Some people were angered with Wilson´s arrogant style
Because he acted as he was the only one who knew the solution for european problems
Most european people were prepared to give Wilso´s paln a try
They hoped that any country would want that countries such as the USA stop tradind with it
Many British
Thought about a League that met only en emergencies
France
Proposed a legue with a strong army
Why the USA never joined the League?
The League was linked to the Treaty of Versailles, also Wilson insisted that all siganatories of this one should join the League
Yet Some Americans hated the Treaty
They didn't want the USA to join the League because it contained all the reparations out of Germany
There were millions of German inmigrants who had never approved the USA joining against Germany
Other were woried abou the economic cost of joining
The USA would promise to solve all international problems regardless of the cost
Business leaders said that the USA had become a powerful country by staying ou fo European affairs
Some people were worried about their families, friends, etc in another war
Because the League would send troops to settle in every little confflict all around the world
Wilson's Democratic Party run the USA for 8 years, so its opponents saw the League as an opportunity to defeat him
Wilson toured the USA to put his arguments in all the population, but in 1919 he was defeated by the Congress decision
Democrats sid if the USA didnt join the League another war might follow
In the 1920 elections Wilson couldn't run for president (He was too ill) but a sucessor did it
The Republican campaigned for America be isolated from the European affairs
The Republicans won and the Usa never joined the League
The Aims of the League (Convenant)
To discourage agressions from any nations
To encouraje countries to co-operate, especially in trade and business
To encourage countries to disarm
To improve the living and working conditions of people all around the world
Memebership of the League
With the absence fo the USA, Britain and France were the most powerful nations in the League
Both were poorly placed to take on this role
neither of them
Had the power it once had
Had the resources to fill the gap of the USA
Both had been weakened by the War
Many British politicians said that if they knew the decission of the USA they wouldn't join the League
Felt that sanction of trade and other thing would be solved and applied with resources and influence of the USA
These 2 countries had other priorities
British politicians were more interested in rebuildind British trade
And looking after their Empire than been an international police force
France main concern was still Germany
Was worried that the League was too weak to protect France from Germany
France wouldn't imagine Britain helping this one
So it was prepared to leave the League if it was necessary to strenghten its position against Germany
The structure of the League
The Secretariat
was a sort of civil service
Kept record of the League meetings and prepared reports for the different agencies of the League
The Council
Small group that met five time year and in cases of emergencies
Had:
Permanent members
In the 1920 were Britain, France, Italy and Japan
Each of this one had a veto
That they could stop the council acting even if all the other memebers agreed
Temporary members
Were elected by the Assembly, in periods of 3 years
Main idea
if it was any dispute with another memeber they would take the discuciion to the Council and would resolve the disappointed before it went out of hand
If thid didn't work the Council could
Moral Condemation
They decided which country was the agressor and concerned this one action and told this to stop
Economic and Financial sanctons
Member couls stop trading with this country
Military Force
The armies of the members were sent to make this country stop
The Assembly
Was the League's parliament
Every memeber send a representative
Could reommend action and could vote on
admitting new memeber to the League
Appointing temporary members
The budget of the League
Other ideas that were put foward by the Council
Met once a year
Votes had to be unonimos and agreed by all the members
The Permanent Court of International Justice
Its job was the one of settling diputes between countries peacefully
Was made up of judges from the member countries
If it was asked the Court would give decision on a border dispute between 2 countries
Gave legal advise to the Council and the Assembly
This Court was not common because it had no way to make sure the countries were following its rullings
The International Labour Organisation (ILO)
It brought together employer, goverments and workers representatives once a year
Its aim was to imporve the working conditions of people troughout the world
The League of Nations Commissions
The Mandates Commission
The FWW led many colonies of Germany and her allies in the hand of the League
So this comission made sure that Britain and France acted in the interests of the people of that territory and not on its owns
The Refugees Committee
Helped return refugees to their original homes
The Slavery Commission
Abolish slavery all around the world
The Health Committee
Attempted to deal with the problem of dangerous disases and to educate sanitation and health
The League and border diputes
the treaties at the Paris Peace Conference had created some new states and achanged the borders of others
The League had so much to do that was helped with the Conference of Amabassadors that it was not an agencie of the Legue but it was made by memeber of the League
Vilna, 1920
Poland and Lithuania were new states
That the capital of Lithuania was Vilna but its population was largerly Polish
So in 1920 a Polish private army took conttol of it
Lithuania ask for the help of the League were it was its "test case"
The League protested to Poland but Poland do nothing
They could send troops of France and Britain
But France saw Poland as a possible ally against Germany in the future and Britain would not fight alone
So the League do nothing and Polish kept Vilna
Upper Silesia, 1921
Was an industrial region between Germany and Poland
It was inhabited by Polish and Germans
Both wanted the control fo it because of its reach in iron and steel industry
The League in 1920 organized a plebscite to made silesiand vote in wich country tehy would like to live
Rural areas voted for Poland
Industrial areas voted for Germany
so they dvided the lands and safeguarded borders and railways to avoid future disputes
Aaland Islands, 1921
Both Sweden and Finland wanted the control of this ones because they were midway between this 2 countries
They were threatening each other to fight
So they appealed to the League, this one said that islands should go to Finland
Sweden accepted this decision
Corfu, 1923
someone had murdered Tellini and his team in the Greek side of the frontirier area
The Italian lader Mussolini blamed the Greek goverment for the murder
On the 29 August he demanded that Greek must pay compensations to Italy and execute their murderers
But the Greeks didnt knew who the murderer was
So in 31 of August Mussolini occupied the island of Corfu in Greece
Greece appealed for the help of the League
This events were similar the ones of 1914 that consequented in the First World War so the league was allready in session
They condemned Mussolini's action and suggested Greece to pay compensation (Money given by the League)
Mussolini made the League change its possition and said that Greece should paid directly to Italy
On 27 September Mussolini leaved Corfu
The Geneva Protocol
Britain and France made up that said that if two members were in disputes they would have to ask to resolve the disagreement and they would have to accpet he Council decision
This would strenghten the League
In fact weakened it
Before Britain could sign this one, there were general election in Britain
The new goverment didnt wanted to sign the protocol
Because Britain would be forced to accept things that werent on its own interests
Bulgaria, 1925
In October 1925, Greeks troops invaded Bulgaria after an incident on the border were Greeks soldiers were killed
Bulgaria askede for the help of the League and it condemned the Greek action and had to pay compensatios to Bulgaria and to pull out
The Greeks obeyed
How did the League work for a better world?
Refugees
The League did a big work in getting refugees and prisioner of war back to ther homelands
In the first few years after the war they took back to their homes 400,000 refugees
Working Conditions
The ILO
Was succesful in banning poisonus white lead from paint and limiting the hours that children were allowed to work
Campaignedfor employer working conditions
Reduced their hour work for an 48 hoursweek and 8 hours-day
Health
The Health Comittee, worked to defeat leprosy
And started a global campain to exterminate mosquitoes
Which reduced the cases of Malaria and Yellow Fever in after decadates
Transport
Made recommendations on marking shipping lanes and proudes and international highway code for road users
Social Problems
It Blacklited 4 German, Dutvh, French and Swiss companies which were involved in the illegal drug trade
In places they could do nothing
They kept record of what was going on there and provided infomation on problems
Such as drug trafficking, prostitution and slavery
Other Americans opposed the League because they were anti-British or anti-French
Thought the Legue would be leaded by Britain and France
Americans believed in freedom so they were against the idea of colonies and empires
So the usa shouldn't join to safeguarde the colonial possesions of Britain and France