League of Nations

• Prevent agression by any nation

• Encourage co-operation between nations

• Encourage disarmament- this would prevent war

• Improve living and working conditions

Assembly- Is a debating chamber located in Geneva (Switzerland), where each member gets 1 vote and meets once each year. Had the power to:

• admit new members and elect permanent members of the council
• vote on League's budget
• suggest changes to existing treaties 

Decisions made by unanimous votes, could only reccomend actions to council, not carry it out. 

The Council-Met 3 times a year and in emergencies

• Consisted of 5 permanent members (Britain, France, Italy, Japan and from 1926 Germany). Permanent members had power to veto. 
• 4 temporary members elected every 3 years by Assembly

Secrateriat-Carried out administration and kept records of meetings and reports. 

Permanent Court of International Justice- Made up of judges from member countries.

• Gave decisions on disputes between countries and gave legal advice to council 

Had no way of making sure decisions were put into action

International Labour Organisation- aimed to improve working conditions 

• Made up of empolyers, goverments and working representitives that met once each year
• Collected stats and info about working conditions
• Tried to persuade member countries to adopt suggestions of improvement on working hours, wages and health and safety. 

Commisions

• Mandates commision- If countries controlled territory, it acted in the interests of people. 
• World Health Organisation- deal with problem of diseases
• Slavery commision- worked to end slavery
• Refugee Organisation- helped return people to origional homes

There were 42 origional members and this increased to 60. 

USA did not join because...

• Congress voted against voting and Republiacan believed in isolationism
• Believed treaty of Versailles was unfair
• Hostile attitudes towards Britain and France
• Did not want to sacrifice troops and spend money

Germany

• Were not allowed to join until they proved they were a peace loving country 
• Joined in 1926

USSR

• Unwanted at first due to communist beliefs and fear of the spread of communism
• Didn't wish to join as they thought it was a "rich club"
• Eventually joied in 1933

• Countries defeated in the war were not allowed to join

• Powerful countries like the USA were missing

• Too slow in dealing with disputes as council only 3 times each year

• Unanimous voting on decisions

• Permanent members had power to veto

• No army

• Dominated by France and Britain who acted in self interest

• Economic Sanctions (stop trading) were unsuccessful as countries could still trade with rich counteries such as the USA.

Aaland Islands, 1920-1921

• Sweden and Finland prepared to fight over Aaland Islands 
• The league gave the Islands to Finland
• Both countries accepted and war was avoided 

Upper Silesia, 1920

• Between Germany and Poland 
• Both wanted it due to its rich iron industry
• A plebliscite was given enquiring whether they wanted to be apart of Germany of Poland
• Urban areas voted Germany, rural areas voted Poland 
• Upper Silesia was divided

Austria, 1922

• Was facing economic issues after WW1
• Financial experts in League prevented a collapse of Austrian government by reorganising Austria's finances and economy. 

Bulgaria, 1925

• Greek soldiers were killed on Bulgarian boarder, so Greece invaded
• Greeks were ordered to leave and pay compensation
• The matter was resolved and no major countries got involved

Improving living and Working conditions

• Many refugees from WW1 were rehomed
• Attacked slave traders and drug sellers 
• Supported measures against malaria and leprosy

Vilna, 1920

• Capital of Lithuania was consisted of mainly Polish people
• 1920 Polish forces occupied Vilna, Vilna asked for help but league could not get Poles to leave
• Neither Britain or France sent soldiers, Vilna stayed under Poland's control

Corfu, 1923

• Mussolini blamed Greeks for the death of Italian surveyors  and ordered them to pay compensation 
• They refused and so Mussolini ordered his navy to shell Corfu
• The Council pressured Corfu to pay the compensation and apologise 
• Only then Mussolini withdrew

• Japan wanted to expand its empire
• Japanese railway that ran through Manchuria (china) was destroyed
• Japanese blamed China and Japan invaded Manchuria and set up a "puppet" government
• China appealed
• Japan claimed it was using self defence to keep peace in China (China state of anarchy)

Leagues actions

• Took a year to present report
• Declared Japan's actions unlawful and Manchuria should be returned
• Japan declared to invade more of China and left the league
• Britain and France were more interested in keeping good relations with Japan
• Economic sanction would not work due to USA
• Britain and France were unwilling to use their military (league had no army)

• Mussolini wanted to expand empire further in Eastern Africa
• Sent troops into Abyssinia to conquer it

The leagues actions

• Relied on Britain and France to send troops
• They were reluctant as they wanted an ally against Hitler
• Agreed to divide Abyssinia- 2/3s to Italy
• Showed that Britain and France acted in self interests
• Italy left league and conqured all of Abyssinia

Disarmament Conference

• All countries should disarm at same level as Germany
• France was afraid to due to events in WW1 and were unwilling to disarm
• Hitler argued that if world disarmament to the same level as Germany would not happen, Germany would rearm. 

Failure

• Failure to disarm lead to Germany leaving league
• Hitler openly announced the increase of his army to 500,000