League of Nations
Content
MODERN WORLD HISTORY 1 The failure of the League of Nations and collective security [4]
(a) Why was the League formed in 1919?
Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States of America, proposed the formation of an association of nations as the fourteenth point of his programme at the end of the First World War. The League had two main aims. Firstly, the League aimed to prevent wars from breaking out and to settle international disputes peacefully . Previously, international problems had been dealt with by conferences of the big powers. There was no international organisation to stop governments fighting over what they felt to be their rights. Secondly, the League aimed to encourage social and economic co-operation throughout the world. This would improve the lives of most people and would encourage international friendship. In addition to the above aims, the League also aimed to reduce world armaments and to ensure that all international treaties were registered and their contents made known. This was because many people blamed secret treaties signed between powerful nations as one of the reasons for the outbreak of the First World War. (b) What was collective security? [2]
Collective security was the belief that if enough powerful states combined together to preserve peace, would-be aggressors would be stopped from attacking other states . When the League was formed, members of the League agreed to come to the aid of any member being attacked. The League could act in two ways. Firstly was to impose economic sanctions, meaning League members to stop trade with the warring state and secondly to impose military sanctions, meaning sending an army to force the warring state to withdraw. (c) Explain the structure of the League of Nations. [2]
The two main bodies of the League were the Assembly and the Council. All members of the League were members of the Assembly and met once a year to decide on important issues. Each country has the right to one vote. Britain, France, Italy and Japan were permanent members of the Council together with nine other countries that were chosen on a rotational basis. The Council met more frequently than the Assembly. The Council, however, had limited powers to ensure that a decision that was made was actually carried out. It had no army under its control and had to rely on member states, especially Britain and France. The Council could not enforce a decision to stop trade with a warring nation. The Council had to rely on the goodwill of members states to cooperate with it.
armaments - military weapons such as airplanes, tanks, etc. would-be aggressors - a state that intended to attack another state warring state - a state that started the war
1
(a) Why was the League formed in 1919?
Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States of America, proposed the formation of an association of nations as the fourteenth point of his programme at the end of the First World War. The League had two main aims. Firstly, the League aimed to prevent wars from breaking out and to settle international disputes peacefully . Previously, international problems had been dealt with by conferences of the big powers. There was no international organisation to stop governments fighting over what they felt to be their rights. Secondly, the League aimed to encourage social and economic co-operation throughout the world. This would improve the lives of most people and would encourage international friendship. In addition to the above aims, the League also aimed to reduce world armaments and to ensure that all international treaties were registered and their contents made known. This was because many people blamed secret treaties signed between powerful nations as one of the reasons for the outbreak of the First World War. (b) What was collective security? [2]
Collective security was the belief that if enough powerful states combined together to preserve peace, would-be aggressors would be stopped from attacking other states . When the League was formed, members of the League agreed to come to the aid of any member being attacked. The League could act in two ways. Firstly was to impose economic sanctions, meaning League members to stop trade with the warring state and secondly to impose military sanctions, meaning sending an army to force the warring state to withdraw. (c) Explain the structure of the League of Nations. [2]
The two main bodies of the League were the Assembly and the Council. All members of the League were members of the Assembly and met once a year to decide on important issues. Each country has the right to one vote. Britain, France, Italy and Japan were permanent members of the Council together with nine other countries that were chosen on a rotational basis. The Council met more frequently than the Assembly. The Council, however, had limited powers to ensure that a decision that was made was actually carried out. It had no army under its control and had to rely on member states, especially Britain and France. The Council could not enforce a decision to stop trade with a warring nation. The Council had to rely on the goodwill of members states to cooperate with it.
armaments - military weapons such as airplanes, tanks, etc. would-be aggressors - a state that intended to attack another state warring state - a state that started the war
1
