Challenges to the League of Nations

Collaborative student prepared summary

DIPLOMACY:•U.S. Isolationism•British Isolationism•Little Entente

US Isolationism–- 1930’s•After Great Depression and defeat in

WW1, US pledged to not get involved in European or Asian conflicts as well as international politics.

•Significance= US (superpower) is not helping with the European conflicts. This is not good, as it doesn’t contribute to the attempt of peace, leading to war.

British Isolationism-- • Isolationism: National policy of avoiding political or economic

entanglements with other countries • (Relates to British appeasement in 1935)Hitler went against

T.O.V, which brought quick reactions from GB, and Italy. However, Britain later moved towards acceptance of Germany’s right to rearm (appeasement policy) on belief that they could stay out of war (isolationism)

• Supporting rearmament=going against League of Nations

Little Entente– 1920-1938•A mutual defense arrangement between

Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania that happened between WW1 and WW2.

•Purpose was to keep the Hapsburgs from recreating their dynasty and keep Germany under control which France liked

•Significance= alliance (Little Entente) was created even after League of Nations banned alliances

•Alliance crumbled in 1938 leaving opportunity for Hitler

DISARMAMAMENT:•Washington Naval Conference•London Naval Conference•Geneva Disarmament Conference

Washington Naval Conference (1921-22)• Attended by GB, Japan, France,

Italy ( reduction of naval capacity), Belgium China, Netherlands, Portugal (situation in far east)

• To prevent another war ( caused by Japanese militarism and international arms race)

• Immediate impact : impacted ship building programs of signatories, japan suffered politically

• Long term impact: London Naval Treaty

• Result: five power treaty, four power treaty and nine power treaty

London Naval Conference (1930)

• Intended to promote disarmament • Lead to restriction on boat load tonnage• Upheld and extended treaty from Washington

Conference • 5 power treaty ending in 1946, which set higher

capacities for naval arms allowing some countries to build them

Geneva Disarmament Conference (1932-4)

•60 countries including US and Soviet Union to meet to place limits on naval capacity

•Failed because Hitler pulled out and started arming making WW2 inevitable

COLLECTIVE SECURITY:•Rapallo Treaty•Geneva Protocol•Locarno Treaties•German Admission to the League•Kellogg-Briand Pact•Litvinov Protocol

Rapallo TreatyCreated on April 16th, 22nd. Formally signed on November 5th, 1922. • Formed between Russia and Germany• Treaty made to forgive all war debts

between the countries and to renounce all territorial and monetary claims that each nation held.

Importance: The Rapallo Treaty strengthened Russian, German relations and reestablished normal, pre war, relations between the nations. The treaty angered the Western Allies because it was the first signed independently by Germany since the conclusion of WWI.

Geneva Protocal • Created in October 1924 by by Ramsay

Macdonald the British prime minister• The League of Nations recommended

signing it• Importance- overcame absence of great

powers and resolve deciding which country was the aggressor in a dispute.

• Agreed to submit disputes to arbitration • Members were worried it would involve

too many distant affairs. Therefore in May 1925 it was dropped though the idea remained.

Locarno Treaties

A series of treaties that accomplished three main goals: 1. Germany, France, Britian, Italy, and Belgium signed treaties confirming Franco German and Belgo- German frontiers. 2. Germany signed arbitration treaties with France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland. 3. Polish and Czechoslovakia borders secured by France promising aid if Germany invaded and vice versa. Importance- Reinforced Versailles settlement and seemed to secure peace between France and Germany. Flaws- Germany’s western borders were confirmed but Eastern were left unsecure.

German Admission to the League, 1926•Proposed in March,

faced opposition from Spain and Brazil

•Admitted in September as permanent Council member, Brazil left

•Brought Germany into post-war discussions

Kellogg-Briand Pact, August 1928

•60 nations signed treaty renouncing war•Signing nations required to negotiate

and help stop an aggressive country•By Kellogg (US Secretary of State) and Briand

(French foreign minister)

Litvinov Protocol, February 1929•Eastern version of Kellogg-

Briand Pact•However, consequences of

causing war not clearly defined

•The Eastern Countries are working apart from the rest of the League to ensure their own peace and processes.

•Like Kellogg-Briand there were no parameters set in place for enforcement

ECONOMICS:•Dawes Plan•Young Plan•Great Depression

Dawes Plan (1924)• France, Britain, and Germany had new

governments which opened the door to conciliatory approaches to aid in Germany’s reparation problem.

• German government had stabilized their economy with new temporary currency

• In August 1924, an international commission produced a new plan (Named after American banker).

• IMPORTANT: Reduced reparation and stabilized Germany’s payment on the basis of paying what they could back.▫200 Million dollars alone to Germany to pay off▫Created European prosperity from 1924 to 1929

because of heavy American investment

Young Plan 1929• Reduced expected German reparations

after Germany would not willingly pay off the Dawes plan.

• Reduced total debt by 90%• Plan failed, stalled by US because they did not agree to cancel German war debts• Then Hitler rose to power, plan became irrelevant

Great Depression•Massive worldwide economic depression

starting in 1930 until the mid-1940s

•Worst depression of the 20th century

•IMPORTANCE: International trade dropped by 20% unemployment increased to over 25% in many countries

•All prices fell by 60%

CONFLICT:•The Rhur Crisis•The Manchurian Crisis•The Abyssinian Crisis

CONFLICT: The Ruhr Crisis (1923)• Britain wanted an improved German economy; France

wanted to weaken German economy, and pay debts to the U.S.A.

• Germany missed a shipment of timber, so France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr region

• German workers protested, destroyed goods,mines, and factories

• Led to violent conflict and inflation in theWeimar republic

• France agreed to Dawes plan, which reducedreparations, and left occupied regions 1925

• Prompted rise of right-wing parties inWeimar republic

CONFLICT: The Manchurian Crisis (1931)

• A staged dynamite explosion by rogue Japanese military gave the Japanese a pre-text to invade Manchuria

• Japanese soldiers seized Manchuria for natural resources• The League of Nations condemned the Japanese; the

Japanese withdrew from the league in 1933• Japan consolidated their hold over Manchuria, then began

to expand their control over Northern China• Tanggu Truce resulted in cease-fire and

a demilitarized zone between China and Manchukuo

• Provided Chiang Kai-Shek time toconsolidate power against Communistparty of China

CONFLICT: The Abyssinian Crisis (1935-6)• Mussolini realized Italy didn’t have much power in

Europe… sought power through colonies in Africa• Abyssinia/Ethiopia was the only unclaimed/independent

area left in Africa… they went out to claim it• It also had oil deposits• Economic sanctions were imposed on Italy, but they were

ineffective• The League of Nations were in a complicated situation,

attempted to make a treaty, where Italy would only take 2/3 of Abyssinia, leaving the rest independent, however, this failed

• Italy took over all Abyssinia by May 1936• Sign that the League of Nations had lost its power