League of Nations and International Relations in the 1920s
1814: Saar region was given to Prussia
1870-1: Franco-Prussian War
➔ France lost Alsace-Lorraine
1871: The German Empire is proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
1913: Britain is the world’s leading exporter
April 1915: Treaty of London - between Italy and Britain which gave Italy territory in the Adriatic sea,
as well as the Austrian territories of South Tyrol and those along the Dalmatian coastline, if victory
was achieved
1915: The Chinese government recognises Japanese rights in Shandong
1917: Declares war against Germany
Jan 1918: Fourteen Points
March 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Oct 1918: Formation of the Czechoslovak First Republic
Nov 11, 1918: Cease fight – German armistice
Nov 28, 1918: Wilhem II abdicates
Dec 1918: Lloyd George and Clemenceau agreed that the Kaiser should be tried by an international
tribunal for war crimes
Dec, 1918: Yugoslavia is formally established
1919: British economist, Keynes published ‘The Economic Consequences of the Peace’
1919-1920: Red Scare in the USA
1919: USA and Japan have overtaken Britain as world leading exporters
1919: Polish troops enter Ukraine
Jan 1919: representatives of 30 victorious nations met at the Paris Peace Conference
March 21, 1919: Béla Kun’s communist party takes over Hungary and renames it the Hungarian
Soviet Republic. This led to Kun wanting to remove all opposition through a violent campaign called
the Red Terror. They also tried invading Czechoslovakia (had to retreat due to French intervention)
and Romania (they were quickly forced to retreat). After this military leaders took over and formed
an anti-communist goverment and launched a violent campaign called the White Terror.
June 1919: Independence of Poland
June 28, 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed with Germany
● Article 80: Only the Council of the League of Nations is empowered to sanction a change in
Austria’s status as an independent state. (Prohibition of Anschluss)
, June 28, 1919: The covenant of the League of Na(rftions is signed
● Article 8: “Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the
reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety”
(disarmament article)
● Article 18: any future treaty entered into by a member state would have to be registered and
published by the League (abolition of secret treaties and diplomacy)
● Article 13: member states agreed to arbitration by the League of Nations of any disputes
between them (arbitration)
● Article 16: member states would work together against any country that threatened peace
through economic sanctions and if these failed joint military action (develop collective
security)
Sept 10, 1919: Treaty of St. Germain signed with Austria
Nov 1919: The USA rejects the Paris Peace Settlements
Nov 27, 1919: Treaty of Neuilly signed with Bulgaria
1920: Start of Polish-Russian war
1920: Teschen- both Czechoslovakia and Poland claimed Teschen, rich in coal deposits. The League
arbitrated the dispute and they abided by its decision.
1920: Vilna - Poland invades the mostly Polish populated capital city of Lithuania, Vilna. Initially the
Polish government agreed but reinforced troops until it annexed it in 1922. It stayed under Polish
sorvenity until 1939. One key reason for this failure is that Britain and France both supported the
Polish claims as they wanted to keep it as an ally and, therefore, refused to act against it.
June 4, 1920: Treaty of Trianon signed with Hungary
Aug 1920: Treaty of Sèvre signed with Turkey
1921: first meeting of the Reparations Committee
1921: Treaty of Riga - followed the end of the Polish-Russian war, gave land to Poland
➔ League took no action in the conflict due to national interests
1921: Yugoslavia-Albania border dispute - Yugoslav troops entered Albania who appealed to the
League which sent a commission that ruled in favour of Albania so the Yugoslav troops had no choice
but to withdraw.
1921: French-Polish alliance
1921: Upper Silesia - Both Germany and Poland claimed the region of Upper Silesia due to its
industry. The League divided the region between the two countries and they agreed.
1921: Aland Islands - Sweden appealed to the League regarding the ownership of the Aland Islands
(they were strategically located and belonged to Finland yet spoke, had Swedish customs and most
1814: Saar region was given to Prussia
1870-1: Franco-Prussian War
➔ France lost Alsace-Lorraine
1871: The German Empire is proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
1913: Britain is the world’s leading exporter
April 1915: Treaty of London - between Italy and Britain which gave Italy territory in the Adriatic sea,
as well as the Austrian territories of South Tyrol and those along the Dalmatian coastline, if victory
was achieved
1915: The Chinese government recognises Japanese rights in Shandong
1917: Declares war against Germany
Jan 1918: Fourteen Points
March 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Oct 1918: Formation of the Czechoslovak First Republic
Nov 11, 1918: Cease fight – German armistice
Nov 28, 1918: Wilhem II abdicates
Dec 1918: Lloyd George and Clemenceau agreed that the Kaiser should be tried by an international
tribunal for war crimes
Dec, 1918: Yugoslavia is formally established
1919: British economist, Keynes published ‘The Economic Consequences of the Peace’
1919-1920: Red Scare in the USA
1919: USA and Japan have overtaken Britain as world leading exporters
1919: Polish troops enter Ukraine
Jan 1919: representatives of 30 victorious nations met at the Paris Peace Conference
March 21, 1919: Béla Kun’s communist party takes over Hungary and renames it the Hungarian
Soviet Republic. This led to Kun wanting to remove all opposition through a violent campaign called
the Red Terror. They also tried invading Czechoslovakia (had to retreat due to French intervention)
and Romania (they were quickly forced to retreat). After this military leaders took over and formed
an anti-communist goverment and launched a violent campaign called the White Terror.
June 1919: Independence of Poland
June 28, 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed with Germany
● Article 80: Only the Council of the League of Nations is empowered to sanction a change in
Austria’s status as an independent state. (Prohibition of Anschluss)
, June 28, 1919: The covenant of the League of Na(rftions is signed
● Article 8: “Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the
reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety”
(disarmament article)
● Article 18: any future treaty entered into by a member state would have to be registered and
published by the League (abolition of secret treaties and diplomacy)
● Article 13: member states agreed to arbitration by the League of Nations of any disputes
between them (arbitration)
● Article 16: member states would work together against any country that threatened peace
through economic sanctions and if these failed joint military action (develop collective
security)
Sept 10, 1919: Treaty of St. Germain signed with Austria
Nov 1919: The USA rejects the Paris Peace Settlements
Nov 27, 1919: Treaty of Neuilly signed with Bulgaria
1920: Start of Polish-Russian war
1920: Teschen- both Czechoslovakia and Poland claimed Teschen, rich in coal deposits. The League
arbitrated the dispute and they abided by its decision.
1920: Vilna - Poland invades the mostly Polish populated capital city of Lithuania, Vilna. Initially the
Polish government agreed but reinforced troops until it annexed it in 1922. It stayed under Polish
sorvenity until 1939. One key reason for this failure is that Britain and France both supported the
Polish claims as they wanted to keep it as an ally and, therefore, refused to act against it.
June 4, 1920: Treaty of Trianon signed with Hungary
Aug 1920: Treaty of Sèvre signed with Turkey
1921: first meeting of the Reparations Committee
1921: Treaty of Riga - followed the end of the Polish-Russian war, gave land to Poland
➔ League took no action in the conflict due to national interests
1921: Yugoslavia-Albania border dispute - Yugoslav troops entered Albania who appealed to the
League which sent a commission that ruled in favour of Albania so the Yugoslav troops had no choice
but to withdraw.
1921: French-Polish alliance
1921: Upper Silesia - Both Germany and Poland claimed the region of Upper Silesia due to its
industry. The League divided the region between the two countries and they agreed.
1921: Aland Islands - Sweden appealed to the League regarding the ownership of the Aland Islands
(they were strategically located and belonged to Finland yet spoke, had Swedish customs and most
