League Of Nations During The 20's

League of Nations 1920’s

By 1919, the League of Nations was created by Wilson. In this League, everyone should join it and disarm its armies. It was made to take every dispute to the League and solved it by the major powers, avoiding any war for a lasting peace. Nevertheless, USA did not join the League because the Congress did not approve the League due to the fact that the USA population hated the treaty of Versailles and the League was linked to it, the population were anti-French or anti-British, they didn’t want to send troops to European conflicts (the USA had promised to send troops) and because they didn’t want to waste their money solving others conflicts (USA had promised this and USA was a major power due to isolationism). This was a real blow to the League, France and Britain were devastated from the IWW, they needed USA because it had real power. Also, Britain was more interested in their problems, such as trading and economic, and France was still concern about Germany, nobody had a real army to defend.

Aims of the League: discourage aggression, encourage countries to co-operate, nations to disarm, improve social and living conditions.

League and border disputes

Vilna, 1920: Vilna was the capital of the Lithuania, which had a large Polish population. Poland took this city and Lithuania appealed for the League’s help. The League protested but neither France nor Britain wanted to act (France saw Poland as an ally against Germany, and Britain was solving an economic crisis and he wouldn’t act all by himself). In the end, the League did nothing and Poland kept Lithuania. FAILURE

Upper Silesia, 1921: industrial region between Germany and Poland and both wanted it. In 1920, a plebiscite was made under French and Britain troops to control. Germany kept the industrial area while Poland the rural area. SUCCESS

Aaland Islands, 1921: Finland and Sweden both wanted to control of these islands. They appealed for the League. The League decided that the islands should be part of Finland. Sweden was okay with it. SUCCESS

Corfu, 1923: In Greece, an Italy group was killed and Mussolini, Italian leader, blamed the Greece government and demanded a payment, then, he bombarded and occupied the islands of Corfu. Greece appealed for the League’s help. The League decided that Greece should pay compensation to Italy but the money should be held in the League. Nevertheless, Greece paid directly to Italy. SUCCESS/FAILURE

The Geneva Protocol, 1924: if 2 members were in dispute they would have to ask the League to sort out the disagreement and they would have to accept the Council’s decisions. Nevertheless, there was a general election in Britain and the new government refused the protocol. So, the protocol weakened the League. FAILURE

Bulgaria, 1925: Greek troops invaded Bulgaria and the last one appealed for the League’s help. It ordered Greece to pull out the troops

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