International Relations 1918-1919

International Relations 1900–1939

The League of Nations

Icons key:

For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation

Flash activity. These activities are not editable.

Web addresses 11 of of 19 19

Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page

Accompanying worksheet

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What was the League of Nations?

• L.O. To know how the League of Nations was created.

• To know the aims of the League of Nations

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Origins of the League of Nations Woodrow Wilson was the American President during the First World War. He had tried to keep America out of the war.

However in 1917, with France seemingly on the edge of defeat and American civilians being killed by German submarines, America could no longer stay out of the conflict.

Wilson decided that if America was to join the war, then the object would be to ensure world peace for the future.

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Origins of the League of Nations Wilson wanted a safer world.

He thought having an organization like the League of Nations might stop future conflicts.

It was not a new idea, but after the carnage of the First World War, Wilson’s message of peace and cooperation struck a cord with many people.

People hoped that the First World War would indeed be the “war to end all wars.”

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Look at this image – What is the cartoonist suggesting about the League of Nations? © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Origins of the league of nations

• The call for a permanent and international peacekeeping organisation was the last of Wilson's 14 points and to him the most important.

• There was no international organisation that could discuss problems/disputes between countries until the league of nations was set up in 1920.

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To disarm If any members did break the covenant and go to war, other members promised to stop trading with it and send troops if necessary.

To protect one another if they were invaded 6 of 19

The countries within the League all agreed..

If they had a dispute with another country, they would take it to the League

Accept whatever decision was made by the League Š Boardworks Ltd 2006

Aims of the league (KEEP)

1) To keep world peace by discouraging aggression from any nation.

2) To encourage countries to co-operate to develop business and trade.

3) To enhance the living and working conditions of people in all parts of the world.

4) To persuade nations to disarm

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Complete the timeline on the League of Nations.

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Why did America not join the League of Nations?

• L.O. To investigate membership of the League and why America decided not to join.

• To answer a b) part question

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Membership Surprisingly, America did not join the League of Nations.

Although Wilson was in favour of the League, which had been largely his idea, the American Senate was opposed to it. Wilson unfortunately suffered a stroke in September 1919 and was unable to push his views through.

In addition, Soviet Russia was excluded from the League.

Without the USA or Russia, the League became a largely European organization, dominated by France and Britain.

Neither of these powers were particularly keen to act outside of Europe unless their interests were directly threatened.

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Membership

What do you think the cartoonist is trying to say about the League of Nations?

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Membership It was not only the USA and Russia that did not join the League.

Germany and the other defeated powers were barred from joining until they had shown their willingness to abide by the terms of the peace treaties.

Many people saw the League as a “winners’ club”.

As part of the League’s job was to uphold the peace treaties, it often appeared to be acting against Germany and the defeated nations.

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Membership

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Britain and France Britain and France were the only two major powers continually represented in the League.

This meant that in effect, they pretty much ran the League as they wanted to.

However, both countries had suffered terribly during the war.

Their economies and armed forces were badly weakened.

This meant that they were usually unwilling to intervene in conflicts when this might cost them money or men.

After the horror of 1914–18, the French and British public were very much against conflict. This meant their governments were unwilling to go to war, even to protect long-term peace.

In addition, Britain and France did not always agree.

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Task

• Divide your next clean double page into four boxes to make notes on why America did not join the League of Nations • Use page 230 to help you.

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Why America did not join the League of Nations.

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3b) Explain why America did not join the League of Nations.

Choose three of the reasons above and explain fully.

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The Structure of the League of Nations?

• L.O. To know how the League was structured and know the certain jobs of each part.  Complete

your diagram using pp234-235

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Organization of the League The League’s structure was complicated. This was because there was a lack of consensus about how it should work.

Britain and America did not want the smaller states to have too much power as they feared that the smaller counties would drag them into international disputes that had little to do with them.

France, however, felt that states like Czechoslovakia and Poland needed to be strengthened through inclusion in the League if the peace treaties were to work.

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Organization of the League

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Organization of the League So the structure of the League was a compromise.

The smaller states could have their say in the assembly and through being non-permanent members on the council.

However, as most decisions in the council had to be unanimous, the powers could easily veto any proposals made by the smaller League members.

This meant that the concerns of small countries could easily be ignored if they were inconvenient to the leading members.

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The council The assembly

The Secretariat

The permanent court of international Justice

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The international labour organisation (ILO)

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Organization of the League

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Exam practice

• What were the functions of the assembly and of the council of the League of Nations? (4) • What was the structure of the league of Nations? (4)

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Exam question 4.b Explain how the League of Nations was meant to keep the peace.

[6] To get 1-3 marks look at one aspect in detail, for example: the Court of International Justice the Assembly the theory of collective security the actions the League could take against aggressive nations.

To get 5–6 marks on this question, you need to look at several aspects and give more detailed explanations.

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The League’s powers

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The League’s strengths and weaknesses

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