The League of Nations
By Mr. Fitzsimmons at
www.activehistory.co.uk
What were its aims and goals?
1. According to its ______________ or “rule book” or
constitution, the League aimed to “promote international
co-operation and to achieve international peace and
security”.
2. It aimed to do this in a number of ways:
a. Political: Discourage aggression or war through diplomatic
setttlements or as a group through___________ security,
and no international secret ___________ between
countries.
b. Military: Encourage world ________________
c. Social: Improve ___________ and ____________ conditions
for the lower classes.
d. Economic: Co-operation between countries through
___________ and commerce.
By Mr. Fitzsimmons at
www.activehistory.co.uk
How was the League organised ?
How would the League keep the peace ?
If one country were aggressive to another, the League
would force the aggressor to back down by:
• Pressure of world __________ against them
• World trade ban or economic ____________
• Force if necessary (though the League had no army)
What the members were promising to do was to take
common action to defend each other in the event of an
attack. This was called COLLECTIVE SECURITY.
An optimistic view of the League
Weaknesses of the League…
Weaknesses of the League…
• Certain key nations did not join
(e.g. USA) – others left (Germany,
1933; Russia joined in 1934, left
1941; Japan left 1932; Italy left
1936)
• It had no real power to enforce
decisions – relied on goodwill and
persuasion
• No permanent military force
• Economic sanctions did not work
• Failed to achieve disarmament of
all nations in the 1930s (one of the
4 principal aims of the League)
• Interference by the Conference of
Ambassadors (set up in 1919)
• Decision-making was slow
because both Assembly and
Council required unanimous votes
to take action – sometimes
aggressive countries had already
been successful before the League
got round to action
• Certain key members of the
Council could veto action (e.g.
Italy (1935-6) and Japan (1931-2)
• Neither Britain nor France gave
the League their full support they were more worried about
their own empires and trade,
particularly during the World
Economic Crisis, 1929-35
Strengths?
• 42 nations joined
• A clear Covenant (constitution) and defined
organization
• Had the power to impose sanctions
• A major step toward a revolutionary new idea:
collective security
Successes?
Work of the League’s commissions – particularly refugees, drug trafficking, slavery :
• Turkey: refugee camps were set up and given medicines and food
(Armenian genocide)
• Russia and Germany: 400,000 ex-prisoners of war were repatriated
(returned home)
• Typhus: An outbreak of typhus in the USSR was successfully contained
• Lead additives in paint were banned
• Sierra Leone persuaded to release 200,000 slaves
International Labour Organisation – campaigning for improved working and pay
conditions
• Several countries were persuaded to adopt a forty-eight-hour working
week
Border disputes in:
• Upper Silesia in 1921
• Aaland Islands dispute, 1921
• Greek invasion of Bulgaria in 1925
What is the message of this cartoon?