Challenges to the League
of Nations
Collaborative student prepared
summary
DIPLOMACY:
• U.S. Isolationism
• British Isolationism
• Little Entente
US Isolationism–- 1930’s
• After Great Depression and defeat in WW1, US
pledged to not get involved in European or
Asian conflicts as well as international politics.
• Significance= US (superpower) is not helping
with the European conflicts. This is not good,
as it doesn’t contribute to the attempt of peace,
leading to war.
British Isolationism--
• Isolationism: National policy of avoiding political or
economic entanglements with other countries
• (Relates to British appeasement in 1935)Hitler went against
T.O.V, which brought quick reactions from GB, and Italy.
However, Britain later moved towards acceptance of
Germany’s right to rearm (appeasement policy) on belief
that they could stay out of war (isolationism)
• Supporting rearmament=going against League of Nations
Little Entente– 1920-1938
• A mutual defense arrangement between
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania that
happened between WW1 and WW2.
• Purpose was to keep the Hapsburgs from
recreating their dynasty and keep Germany
under control which France liked
• Significance= alliance (Little Entente) was
created even after League of Nations banned
alliances
• Alliance crumbled in 1938 leaving opportunity
for Hitler
DISARMAMAMENT:
• Washington Naval Conference
• London Naval Conference
• Geneva Disarmament Conference
Washington Naval Conference (1921-22)
• Attended by GB, Japan, France,
Italy ( reduction of naval capacity),
Belgium China, Netherlands,
Portugal (situation in far east)
• To prevent another war ( caused by
Japanese militarism and
international arms race)
• Immediate impact : impacted ship
building programs of signatories,
japan suffered politically
• Long term impact: London Naval
Treaty
• Result: five power treaty, four
power treaty and nine power treaty
London Naval Conference (1930)
• Intended to promote disarmament
• Lead to restriction on boat load tonnage
• Upheld and extended treaty from Washington
Conference
• 5 power treaty ending in 1946, which set higher
capacities for naval arms allowing some countries
to build them
Geneva Disarmament Conference (1932-4)
• 60 countries including US and Soviet Union to
meet to place limits on naval capacity
• Failed because Hitler pulled out and started
arming making WW2 inevitable
COLLECTIVE SECURITY:
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Rapallo Treaty
Geneva Protocol
Locarno Treaties
German Admission to the League
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Litvinov Protocol
Rapallo Treaty
Created on April 16th, 22nd. Formally signed
on November 5th, 1922.
• Formed between Russia and Germany
• Treaty made to forgive all war debts
between the countries and to renounce all
territorial and monetary claims that each
nation held.
Importance: The Rapallo Treaty
strengthened Russian, German relations and
reestablished normal, pre war, relations
between the nations.
The treaty angered the Western Allies
because it was the first signed independently
by Germany since the conclusion of WWI.
Geneva Protocal
• Created in October 1924 by by Ramsay
Macdonald the British prime minister
• The League of Nations recommended
signing it
• Importance- overcame absence of great
powers and resolve deciding which
country was the aggressor in a dispute.
• Agreed to submit disputes to arbitration
• Members were worried it would involve
too many distant affairs. Therefore in May
1925 it was dropped though the idea
remained.
Locarno Treaties
A series of treaties that accomplished three main goals:
1. Germany, France, Britian, Italy, and Belgium signed treaties confirming Franco
German and Belgo- German frontiers.
2. Germany signed arbitration treaties with France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and
Poland.
3. Polish and Czechoslovakia borders secured by France promising aid if
Germany invaded and vice versa.
Importance- Reinforced Versailles settlement and seemed to secure peace
between France and Germany.
Flaws- Germany’s western borders were confirmed but Eastern were left
unsecure.
German Admission to the League, 1926
• Proposed in March, faced
opposition from Spain and
Brazil
• Admitted in September as
permanent Council
member, Brazil left
• Brought Germany into
post-war discussions
Kellogg-Briand Pact, August 1928
• 60 nations signed treaty renouncing war
• Signing nations required to negotiate and help
stop an aggressive country
• By Kellogg (US Secretary of State) and Briand (French
foreign minister)
Litvinov Protocol, February 1929
• Eastern version of KelloggBriand Pact
• However, consequences of
causing war not clearly defined
• The Eastern Countries are
working apart from the rest of
the League to ensure their own
peace and processes.
• Like Kellogg-Briand there were
no parameters set in place for
enforcement
ECONOMICS:
• Dawes Plan
• Young Plan
• Great Depression
Dawes Plan (1924)
• France, Britain, and Germany had new
governments which opened the door to conciliatory
approaches to aid in Germany’s reparation
problem.
• German government had stabilized their economy
with new temporary currency
• In August 1924, an international commission
produced a new plan (Named after American
banker).
• IMPORTANT: Reduced reparation and stabilized
Germany’s payment on the basis of paying what
they could back.
▫ 200 Million dollars alone to Germany to pay off
▫ Created European prosperity from 1924 to 1929
because of heavy American investment
Young Plan 1929
• Reduced expected German reparations after
Germany would not willingly pay off the
Dawes plan.
• Reduced total debt by 90%
• Plan failed, stalled by US
because they did not agree to
cancel German war debts
• Then Hitler rose to power,
plan became irrelevant
Great Depression
• Massive worldwide economic depression
starting in 1930 until the mid-1940s
• Worst depression of the 20th century
• IMPORTANCE: International trade dropped by
20% unemployment increased to over 25% in
many countries
• All prices fell by 60%
CONFLICT:
• The Rhur Crisis
• The Manchurian Crisis
• The Abyssinian Crisis
CONFLICT: The Ruhr Crisis (1923)
• Britain wanted an improved German economy; France wanted to
weaken German economy, and pay debts to the U.S.A.
• Germany missed a shipment of timber, so France and Belgium
invaded the Ruhr region
• German workers protested, destroyed goods,
mines, and factories
• Led to violent conflict and inflation in the
Weimar republic
• France agreed to Dawes plan, which reduced
reparations, and left occupied regions 1925
• Prompted rise of right-wing parties in
Weimar republic
CONFLICT: The Manchurian Crisis (1931)
• A staged dynamite explosion by rogue Japanese military gave the
Japanese a pre-text to invade Manchuria
• Japanese soldiers seized Manchuria for natural resources
• The League of Nations condemned the Japanese; the Japanese
withdrew from the league in 1933
• Japan consolidated their hold over Manchuria, then began to
expand their control over Northern China
• Tanggu Truce resulted in cease-fire and
a demilitarized zone between China
and Manchukuo
• Provided Chiang Kai-Shek time to
consolidate power against Communist
party of China
CONFLICT: The Abyssinian Crisis (1935-6)
• Mussolini realized Italy didn’t have much power in Europe… sought
power through colonies in Africa
• Abyssinia/Ethiopia was the only unclaimed/independent area left in
Africa… they went out to claim it
• It also had oil deposits
• Economic sanctions were imposed on Italy, but they were ineffective
• The League of Nations were in a complicated situation, attempted to
make a treaty, where Italy would only take 2/3 of Abyssinia, leaving
the rest independent, however, this failed
• Italy took over all Abyssinia by May 1936
• Sign that the League of Nations had lost its power