Chapter 1 lon weaknesses

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Chapter 1: Impact of World War One in Europe, Part IV(The League of Nations: Weaknesses)

Topic Inquiry Question: “What was the main reason for the weakness of the LON?”

Two Crises in the 1930s

1) Manchuria, 1931- Manchuria invaded by Japan in 1931- Reasons:

o Resources like minerals, timber

o Living space

LON’s responseo 1932: Commission led by Lord Lytton sent to investigate

Demanded that Japan leave Manchuria Special LON Assembly agreed with Lytton and condemned Japanese

actions Outcome

o Japan remained in Manchuria and walked out of the LON in 1933

Impact?

2) Abyssinia, 1935-6- Mussolini prepared to invade Abyssinia – accused Abyssinians of aggression at Wal-

Wal clashes!!- Reasons:

o To restore pride and glory to Italy

o To avenge 1896 defeat at Battle of Adwa

- Emperor Haile Selassie asked LON to arbitrate LON’s response

o Imposed partial trade sanctions – banned arms sales – did not include materials

such as oilo Britain, a LON member, kept the Suez Canal open to the Italians

o LON Commission proposed giving up part of Abyssinia to Italy

Outcomeo Italy launched full-scale invasion of Abyssinia in October 1935

o British and French had secret negotiations with Italy – wanted to give Italy two

huge areas in Abyssinia in order to stop the war Plan failed but what did it reveal to us?

o By May 1936, Italy had conquered Abyssinia

1937: Italy leaves LON

Weaknesses of the LONWhy was the LON unable to maintain world peace in the 1920s and 1930s?

Structural Weaknesses

o The Secretariat was understaffed and disorganised

o Roles of the Assembly and Council were not clearly defined – Impact?

o Issue of Unanimity

Any action required a unanimous vote by the Council and a two-thirds majority

vote in the Assembly

Impact on decision-making?

# The various parts of the League didn’t work well together hard to take effective action!

Lack of Authority

Activity 1: Reading Political Cartoons

Cartoon Questions

Moral Suasion. The Rabbit. "My offensive equipment being practically nil, it remains for me to fascinate him with the power of my eye."

Cartoon from Punch magazine, London, England, July 28th 1920

What do you see in this cartoon (details)?

What do they represent (symbols)?

What is the message of the cartoon?

o No Military Power

Could not coerce aggressor nations

Had to army of its own to enforce military sanctions

o No Economic Power

Trade sanctions didn’t work – not binding on LON members, e.g. Abyssinian

Crisis

Aggressor nation could simply trade with non-LON members

Member nations were more concerned with own economic and political interests,

than with resolving conflicts

Unwilling to impose sanctions – why?

o Legacy of Treaty of Versailles (TOV)

LON closely linked to TOV – TOV was unpopular and LON was affected by this

unpopularity

LON lost credibility when it proved ineffective in stopping nations such as

Germany, Italy and Japan from their expansionist goals

# The lack of authority resulting from the LON’s lack of military and economic power, together with

its close association to the TOV, made it difficult for it to take effective action against aggressor

nations.

Membership Issues

Cartoon Questions

Cartoon by Leonard Raven-HillCartoon from Punch magazine, London, England, December 10th 1919




o Absence of the USA

LON deprived of a powerful member – USA the world’s largest economy

LON lacked necessary military and economic support from the USA to enforce

its rulings

o Absence of others

Germany – blamed for WWI - 1926

Soviet Union – viewed with suspicion - 1934

# Absence of 3 major powers weakened the LON as it needed their support to enforce its sanctions

Post-war Attitudes of Major Powers

Cartoon Questions

‘Let Sam Do It’Cartoon from New York American, 1931




o The post-war attitudes of the major powers affected their willingness to help maintain world

peace and security

o As most of the League’s members had suffered from World War I, they did not have enough

military power to deal with military threats from a powerful country.

Only the British and French military forces would have been strong enough to handle

a military threat, but both were unwilling to do so. Instead, they chose a policy of

appeasement.

o Furthermore, while the League aimed to achieve disarmament, its members were unwilling to

disarm as they put their own interests and concerns before those of the League. This led to

feelings of distrust between the countries, which further weakened the League.

# None of the major powers in the LON were willing to ensure that the LON was able to enforce its decisions destroyed credibility of the LON

Chapter 1 lon weaknesses

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Transcript of Chapter 1 lon weaknesses