Transcript LofN_card_sort_overview_of_probs_amb_x

FORMATION OF
THE LEAGUE
OF
NATIONS
AIMS OF THE LEAGUE
1. Stop aggression through cooperation
2. Improve living and working
conditions around the world
3. Disarmament
4. Enforce the Peace Treaties
5. Free Trade between countries
Problem 1
The League was very complicated and
took a long time to make decisions.
Problem 1
The League was very complicated and took a long time
to make decisions.
The Covenant laid out the League’s structure and the rules for each of the
bodies within it. The Secretariat was at the centre of this structure and
acted as a sort of civil service, for example preparing reports for the
different agencies of the League. The Assembly was the League’s
Parliament, with a seat for every member country and met once a year.
Decisions had to be unanimous (agreed by all members) which made it hard
for decisions to be made at all. The Council was a smaller group which met
about five times a year and was made up of four permanent members and up
to nine temporary members. If disputes arose the Council could use the
powers of the League to deal with them, however, each permanent member
had a veto (ability to stop proceedings) which could act as a huge barrier to
action. Other bodies within the League’s structure were the Permanent
Court of Justice, the International Labour Organisation and the LoN
Commissions. With so many elements the structure of the League was too
complex for decisions to be made quickly and action to be swift.
Problem 2
It was created by the President of the
United States. But the US never joined
up.
Problem 2
It was created by the President of the United
States. But the US never joined up.
At first it was envisaged that the USA would be a member of the
Council, but in the end America refused to join. Wilson was a
Democrat. The majority in the US Senate belonged to another
party – the Republicans – and many of them disliked Wilson.
There was a strong tradition of ‘isolationism’ in the USA (a belief
that America should not get involved in international politics).
Wilson was stubborn and failed to compromise or to persuade his
opponents to support the League. In March 1920the US Senate
stopped the USA from joining the League. The absence of the
USA greatly weakened the authority of the new LoN and made
trade sanctions difficult. Members knew that if they stopped
trading with an aggressive country, the USA would step in to fill
the gap.
Problem 3
Germany and the Soviet Union were
not allowed to join at first.
Problem 3
Germany and the Soviet Union were not allowed to join
at first.
Forty-five states were founder members of the League. These
were all either victorious or neutral in the First World War. The
defeated nations were not allowed to join in the beginning. As a
result Germany, Austria and Hungary saw the League as a club for
their enemies. The founders were frightened of the spread of
Communism, so the new Soviet Union was also not invited to join.
Thus, it was difficult for the League to claim to be the voice of
world opinion.
Problem 4
Asian countries, such as Japan, felt that
the League was biased towards
European Countries.
Problem 4
Asian countries, such as Japan, felt that the
League was biased towards European Countries.
Many non-European were very unhappy with the way the
Covenant gave power to the European countries of Britain, France
and Italy. They criticised the League by saying it was a ‘European
Club’. Countries like Argentina argued for a democratic League
with all the Council members elected by the Assembly. But these
ideas were rejected.
There was a fear that the League would be dominated by white
people, so the Japanese asked for a promise to oppose racial
discrimination but the Americans and British rejected this
proposal. The Covenant took a very patronising view of people
living in colonies, believing so called ‘civilised states should look
after them.
Problem 5
The League didn’t have it’s own army,
it was very difficult for the League to
go to war.
Problem 5
The League didn’t have it’s own army, it was very
difficult for the League to go to war.
The League had no army of its own. Instead, the idea was that all
countries could act to help any other country if it was attacked.
This turned out to be completely unrealistic. Every member state
would first of all stop trade with an aggressive country and if this
failed to stop them, every country would then supply soldiers for a
joint war against the aggressive country. However, this assumed
that governments would be willing to risk the lives and money of
their own people in order to sort out a quarrel that had nothing to
do with their country.
Problem 6
The two main members of the League
only cared about their own interests.
Problem 6
The two main members of the League only cared about
their own interests.
The league was dominated by the two big European Powers of
Britain and France. At the Treaty of Versailles they had shown that
they only cared about their own interests. If the League of Nations
had to do something that would go against the interests of either of
these two countries would Britain and France let it happen? Or
would they use their position on the League’s council to block the
League from acting?
Britain and France had economic interests in their Empires and
Trade, which may be threatened by the actions of the League.
Furthermore both countries had no wish to disarm, one of the key
aims of the League of Nations.
Problem 7
The League would find it difficult to
stand up to big countries
Problem 7
The League would find it difficult to stand up to big
countries.
If the League was going to stand up to big and aggressive
countries it would need to be able to be strong, united and swift in
action. Because the League didn’t have an army it would not be
able to win battles against powerful countries.
The only other tactic the League had was to use Trade embargos
and sanctions (refusing to trade with the aggressive countries), but
if they refused to trade, then the aggressive countries could easily
trade with countries who were not in the League (Germany, Russia
& particularly the USA).
Problem 8
Tensions between Britain and France
Problem 8
Tension between Britain and France.
In the absence of other powerful countries, the League was
dominated by Britain and France. These two countries had
different views of how the League should work. The French
wanted to make the League into a military alliance, with strict
obligations on members to support each other. This was a result of
the French obsession with the dangers of a German attack. The
British saw the League as a much looser, less formal organisation.
They resisted French demands for a stronger League. The British
were finding it difficult to defend their own empire and had no
wish to get involved unnecessarily in military conflicts anywhere
else in the world.