Unit 2: League of Nations - To what extent was the League of Nations a success?
Go back to page 25 (the introductory page to the unit) and look at the arguments that
it gives you as to whether the League was a success or not. It gives some
arguments to back up the League’s successes (humanitarian work, financial
agencies, some international disputes that were handled successfully) and
arguments to back up its failure (Manchuria, Abyssinia, border conflicts during the
1920s). You need to weigh the League’s successes and its failures, as well as
comparing the League’s aims to what it actually achieved.
Some of the questions that structure the unit:
How was the League organised? How much did the League’s weaknesses have to
do with its organisation? How much did external conflicts help make it more difficult?
How well did the League intervene in international conflicts? How successful were
the League’s attempts at peacemaking in the 1920s?
Always remember that the main aim of the League of Nations was to maintain
peace, always intervene in a pacific way, to avoid another war.
Important contents for the Mock Exam:
1- How far did weaknesses in the League’s organisation and membership make
failure inevitable? (pages 26-33)
How did the League come to be? You don’t have to remember the different projects
that each country had as to how the League should look like (page 26), we know that
Wilson’s project was the one that “won”.
Pages 28-29: why the US never joined the League? Remember why it was a big
deal for the US to not join the League. Why was it a problem for the League?
Remember also which other important nations didn’t join the League! (USSR).
page 31: who joined the League and who did not? Who were the main members?
Britain and France. What was the problem with that? What other priorities did these
two countries have? (pg. 31)
The aims of the League (ACDC) (page 30). Go back to these every time you need to
determine whether the League was successful or not at resolving an international
conflict.
Organization of the League (pages 32-33). Tip: You should be able to explain why
there were weaknesses in the organization of the League. It's possible to identify
weaknesses in the way in which the different bodies worked (International Court of
Justice, Assembly, etc).
The League in the 1920s: pgs 34-40 of the textbook.
Remember you should be able to explain and analyze how far the League was
successful in achieving each of its main aims (ACDC: preventing aggression /
cooperation / disarmament / improving living and working conditions). You should be
able to explain why these conflicts were a success or a failure for the League.
A. Preventing aggression: pgs 35-37.
Case Studies:
- Corfu Crisis (pg 35)
- Bulgaria Crisis (pg 36-37)
- Aaland Islands and the Vilna Crisis: as well as the textbook (page 35), you have a
SEPARATE TEXT to help you study these particular conflicts - File 2.2 uploaded in
Study Materials → Unit 2: League of Nations.
C. Cooperation (Factfile on pg 38, and page 39). The end of INTERNATIONALISM.
D. Disarmament (pg 38, including factfile). Remember that later on, during the
1930s, the League will organise the Disarmament Conference.
C. Living conditions (pg 40). Many examples of successes. Tip: use the Focus Task
2.4 that you did as homework to help you study! You have already organised the
examples of success and of failure.
The League in the 1930s (pages 42-50).
The Manchurian crisis, the Abyssinian crisis and the Disarmament Conference
are the three main challenges that the League had to face. You should be able to
explain why the League failed in trying to solve each of these three challenges
through peaceful means.
A. The Great Depression (pages 42-43): What was the Great Depression? (pg 42).
How did it affect the world and why did it make the work of the League harder? (pg
43). You have a mind map uploaded in Schoology which you can use to study.
B. Manchurian Crisis (pages 44-45): What happened in Manchuria? Why was it
important? (In other words: what was its outcome/consequences?) Why did the
League fail to act? You have a study guide uploaded in Schoology (File 2.3 in "Study
Materials").
C. Disarmament (pages 46-47). What was the Disarmament Conference (pg 42)
and why was it a complete failure (pg 43)? You have a file in Schoology to help you
study: File 2.4 (Why did disarmament fail in the 1930s?) in Study Materials → Unit 2.
D. Abyssinian Conflict (pgs 48-50). What happened in Abyssinia? Why did
Mussolini invade Abyssinia? (pg 48) How did the League react? (pg 48-50). What
was the Hoare-Laval Pact? (pg 49) Why was the Abyssinian Crisis important? Why
did the League fail to act? These questions are answered in the Study Guide
uploaded in Schoology (File 2.8 in "Study Materials").
TIP: Remember to make sure you understand all of the key words that appear on
page 53. As always, I also recommend to you that you look at the Practice Questions
and the Chapter Summary to help you summarize the Unit.