> 63 countries from all over the world ❕ ● Britain and France didn’t want military
action/sanctions – had their own problems
created in order to: ● no army force of its own
1 promote peace relied on forces of members – they didn’t like that
2 resolve conflicts through negotiations ● disarmament (propagated by the League) =
3 ensure there’d be no more wars members didn’t have any forces
origins of the League: three successes of the League:
pres. Woodrow Wilson (1918): Fourteen Points 1 The Aaland Islands 1920
> idea of the League – great enthusiast belonged to Finland, wanted Sweden to rule
> the US didn’t join, because the majority of = Finland keeps them, Swedish people protected
Americans thought it’d bring the country into
international affairs (unnecessarily) 2 Upper Silesia 1921
> the structure developed by the countries of part of people wanted to be German, part Polish
Paris Peace Conference – Britain, France, Italy = the League split the area, decision accepted
the structure of the League: 3 The Greek-Bulgarian war 1925
1) the Council of the League Bulgaria blamed for the death of a Greek soldier
> dominant countries (Britain, France, Italy, on border patrol – Greece invading
Japan; later also Germany) = order to withdraw, fine imposed on Greece
> met 4-5 times a year
> unanimous decisions (ability to veto) three failures of the League:
2) the Assembly 1 Vilna (Poland + Lithuania) 1920
> representatives of all member countries capital of Lithuania, invaded by the Poles (as many
> met once a year and decided over less inhabited it)
important things (memberships, etc.) = League asked to withdraw, Poles refused,
> also unanimous Conference of Ambassadors – the city to Poland
3) the Secretariat
> responsible for the paperwork, arranging 2 Corfu (Italy + Greece) 1923
meetings, etc. Greeks refused to compensate for dead Italian
> not enough members – slow process soldiers (in Greece), Mussolini invaded Corfu
4) commissions = France and Britain didn’t want to upset him
> disarmament commission
> slavery comission 3 Manchuria 1932
5) committees Japan conquered a part of China
> the Health Organisations (later WHO) = the League objected, Japan left
> International Labour Organisation
methods of enforcing law:
problems of the League: a) mediation – the International Court of Justice
● decisions had to be unanimous (the Assembly b) moral condemnation
and the Council) c) economic sanctions (embargo)
● the Assembly met only once a year could still trade with countries outside
● many countries never joined the League: countries which stopped trading also hurt
like the US and the USSR – the goal unachievable d) military intervention (the League didn’t have
an army)
action/sanctions – had their own problems
created in order to: ● no army force of its own
1 promote peace relied on forces of members – they didn’t like that
2 resolve conflicts through negotiations ● disarmament (propagated by the League) =
3 ensure there’d be no more wars members didn’t have any forces
origins of the League: three successes of the League:
pres. Woodrow Wilson (1918): Fourteen Points 1 The Aaland Islands 1920
> idea of the League – great enthusiast belonged to Finland, wanted Sweden to rule
> the US didn’t join, because the majority of = Finland keeps them, Swedish people protected
Americans thought it’d bring the country into
international affairs (unnecessarily) 2 Upper Silesia 1921
> the structure developed by the countries of part of people wanted to be German, part Polish
Paris Peace Conference – Britain, France, Italy = the League split the area, decision accepted
the structure of the League: 3 The Greek-Bulgarian war 1925
1) the Council of the League Bulgaria blamed for the death of a Greek soldier
> dominant countries (Britain, France, Italy, on border patrol – Greece invading
Japan; later also Germany) = order to withdraw, fine imposed on Greece
> met 4-5 times a year
> unanimous decisions (ability to veto) three failures of the League:
2) the Assembly 1 Vilna (Poland + Lithuania) 1920
> representatives of all member countries capital of Lithuania, invaded by the Poles (as many
> met once a year and decided over less inhabited it)
important things (memberships, etc.) = League asked to withdraw, Poles refused,
> also unanimous Conference of Ambassadors – the city to Poland
3) the Secretariat
> responsible for the paperwork, arranging 2 Corfu (Italy + Greece) 1923
meetings, etc. Greeks refused to compensate for dead Italian
> not enough members – slow process soldiers (in Greece), Mussolini invaded Corfu
4) commissions = France and Britain didn’t want to upset him
> disarmament commission
> slavery comission 3 Manchuria 1932
5) committees Japan conquered a part of China
> the Health Organisations (later WHO) = the League objected, Japan left
> International Labour Organisation
methods of enforcing law:
problems of the League: a) mediation – the International Court of Justice
● decisions had to be unanimous (the Assembly b) moral condemnation
and the Council) c) economic sanctions (embargo)
● the Assembly met only once a year could still trade with countries outside
● many countries never joined the League: countries which stopped trading also hurt
like the US and the USSR – the goal unachievable d) military intervention (the League didn’t have
an army)
