get countries to co-operate
rather than compete in
business and trade
Membership
Aim: have a broad membership
Weakness: quality of membership
Germany /
USSR not
allwoed to join
USA refused to join
(return to isolationism
Britain and France
are too weak to lead
Strength: quantity of membership
42 members in 1919
65 members in 1939
Structure
Aim: to be efficient and effective
Failures
No army = weak
Urgent matters require a
unanimous decision = time
consuming
Successes
Administration = clear
Assembly
between 42 and 65 members
every member has one vote and up to 3 representatives
a majority vote was sufficient = quick, effective
met once a year to review the Council's activities and discuss plans, procedure and membership
Council
4 permanent members = Britain, France, Itlay and Japan ; 10 temporary members
eleceted from time to time by the Assembly
met up to 5 times a year to discuss urgent issues as they arose
every member had just one vote
International Court of Justice
Permanently available
15 judges elected by the Council and Assembly
investigate international disputes between member nations and decided who was guilty
Actions = flexible and scale upwards
a. Moral condemnation
official, public criticism
of the aggressor
b. Economic sanctions
League members
refuse to trade with
the aggressor
c. Military force
League uses its own army
to attack the aggressor
Borders
Aim: settle disputes peacefully
Failures
Rhur (1923)
Situation: France and Belgium invaded the Rhur after
Germany failed to pay the latest installement of reparations
League's response: do nothing. America interviened and came up with the Dawes plan:
Germany pays the reparations over a longer period of time.
Bulgaria (1925)
Situation: a Greek soldier crossed the Bulgarian border to
fetch his stray dog and he was shot down. Greece invaded
Bulgaria and the Bulgarians asked for the League's help
League's response: Greece were ordered to withdraw and recieved
no compensation When Italy invaded a Greek port after one of
theirs was shot, they recieved compensation (double standards)
Successes
Aaland Islands (1921)
Situation: Finland and Sweden both wanted control of the
islands, as they were an important strategic position. They
ask the League who should own them
League's response: give the islands to Finland, but they remain
permanently demilitarised. Peaceful solution still in place today
Teschen (1919)
Situation: Poland and Czechoslovakia both want
control of the small mining town rich in coal.
League's solution: give Poland more land space in the
town, but the area Czechoslovakia recieve is richer in
coal. Creative solution that kept both countries happy.
Social Affairs
Aim: to improve working and living conditions
ILO
Problem: terrible working conditions create
social distress, which could lead to communist
revlutionaires gaining support
Solution: Banned lead from white paint
WHO (World Health Organisation)
Problem 1: malaria
was killing lots of
people in African
mandates
Solution 1: an extermination program to
contain malaria began
Problem 2: typhus epidemic in the USSR.
Didn't want it to reach Europe
Solution 2: contain the epidemic in
the USSR by providing medical
support to the European border
Refugee Org.
Problem: lots of Russians were against
communism and were feeling to Europe
Solution: hand out Nansen passports (temporary European
passports) to Russian immigrants. Over 450 000
passports were handed out
Slavery Org.
Problem: there was lots of locals
enslaved in Sierra Leone
Solution: 200 000 slaves
were liberated in Sierra Leone
Disarmament
Aim: promote world disarmament
Why were coutries unwilling to disarm?
Britain
Washington Conference: Britain need a bigger
arm from the next to defend her empire
Prevents an arms race, but means the production of more ships
France
Maginaot line: France fortified all the
border she shared with Germany
felt the need to protect herself
production of more weapons and artillerty
Germany
Rapallo treaties: Germany has a secret
agreement with the USSR that said
they could produce weapons in Russia
Germany were regaining weapons
production of more weapons, could lead to war
Successes
German force reduced to 100 000
men, 6 boats and no aircraft
Failures
only Germany disarmed,
gives them an excuse to rearm
Maginot line: France produced
more weapons and artillery to
reinforce her German border