Manchurian Crisis, 1931

first major failure of the League of Nations and first time the
League was challenged by an aggressor attacking another nation

Japan at this time was a nation that had fallen under the influence
of its military, moved towards a fascist imperialist state
 Japan is close to China and is an island that needed resources and
markets that could be found in Manchuria (northeastern China)

China did nothing to Japan, a perfect example of a victim of
aggression that the League was suppose to protect through the
principle of collective security

The League should have recommended moral sanctions be applied,
then economic sanctions if that didn’t work, and, as a last resort,
military sanctions to remove the aggressive Japanese forces which
had created a puppet government named Manchukuo, controlled
directly by Japan

Each member nation should have contributed some troops to
restore international order in the name of collective security

Instead they sent out the Lytton Commission to study the cause of
this conflict which decided that the Japanese action
o
o

could not be regarded as a measures of legitimate self-defense
that the regime which the Japanese had set up there disregarded
the wishes of the people of Manchuria and was not compatible
with the fundamental principles of existing international
obligations
this light criticism, was enough to anger Japan and they resigned
from the League of Nations in 1933
Abyssinian Crisis, 1935-1936

Italy led by fascist dictator Mussolini at the time

looked around and saw that one part of Africa called Ethiopia was
unclaimed by a European power

Mussolini attacked to make it part of the new Roman Empire

Ethiopians cannot defend themselves because they were a third
world underdeveloped country, while the Italians have a very
modern military

ideal example of what the League was meant to deal with: protect a
victim nation from acts of aggression

the League should have imposed all three sanctions

to some degree they did just that

they were able to pass a recommendation that Italy be morally
condemned, however, this was Mussolini who would hardly be
deterred by this type of label (he rejoiced at being at war)

imposed economic sanctions but were very extremely weak
economic sanctions and they did not include those necessities of war
oil, copper and steel

Mussolini stated had he been cut off from these necessities, he would
have been forced to withdraw, he wasn’t, so he continued on
completely conquering Ethiopia by 1936
Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

this failure occurs marks the death of the League of Nations

Spain, 1931, decides to become a republic and gets rid of their king

holds democratic elections won by a coalition of socialists and
communists known as the republicans in this war

those people within Spain that are anti-left form their own coalition,
following Franco

Franco takes his nationalist, right wing supporters to Morocco to
organize themselves

In 1936, they invade Spain (their own country) which is against
international law and order

League of Nations should step in but it doesn't

Mussolini in Italy sends over 60,000 troops to support the fascist
right-wing, nationalist cause and allow the Italian troops to get
training for the looming world war

second fascist supporter is Hitler sends his air force (Luftwaffe) to
Spain to support the same fascist cause and get some training for the
same war

on the left wing side Stalin sent over his tanks from the USSR,
support the republican left wing, and to get some practice for the
looming war

the League of Nations should have taken action against Italy,
Germany and the USSR

all broke the main covenant and aim of the League of Nations: to
respect the territorial integrity and independence of other nations