The aims of the League were fairly straight forward but proved very difficult to achieve. To discourage aggression from any nation, to encourage countries to cooperate, to encourage nations to disarm and to improve the living and working conditions of people around the world. The structure of the League may of seemed strong in the early years but in the 1930’s the underlying problems would be revealed. The Council was a small group made up of the permanent member whom in the 1920’s were Britain, France, Italy, Japan and with Germany joining in 1926 and temporary members, which were elected by the Assembly for three year periods. They met usually about 5 times a year and in cases of emergency. Each permanent member of the Council had a veto, which could cancel out all of the votes of the other members of the Council. If any disputes arose between two countries the Council would try to sort it out through discussions, however if this did not work they had the following options available to them to act upon the aggressor, moral condemnation, economic and financial sanctions and if these should fail, military force to stop the aggressor.
During the 1920’s the League could be credited with some success in settling border disputes. Examples being, settling a dispute between Finland and Sweden over the Åland Islands in 1921 and between Greece and Bulgaria over their mutual border in 1925. Also some social improvements such as curbing international traffic in opiates and prostitution, aiding refugees of World War I, and surveying and improving health and labour conditions around the world. Historians are divided whether the League was a success in the 20’s but they are certainly all agreed when it comes to the 1930’s that the League failed miserably in their job to preserve international peace.
Perhaps what started off the Leagues failure in the 1930’s was the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. All of the Leagues members were affected by the crash and led to either problems arising for the League or its strongest members to put the League to the bottom of its priority list. Britain suffered high unemployment and was not willing to get involved in international disputes, also the USA was not going to support economic sanctions when its own trade was in such a mess. In Germany the collapse of the Weimar Republic, unemployment and poverty led people to elect the Nazis, whom made no secret of their plans to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, France worried about the changing situation in Germany began to build border defences, in Japan the depression threatened a complete collapse of the country’s industry which led to the take over of Manchuria and in Italy, economic problems encouraged Mussolini to try to build an overseas empire to distract people attention away from the governments problems.
This brings us to David Low’s first cartoon commenting on the economic problems that faced the world in the early 30’s, yet the British, French and US governments were more concerned with their own immediate problems than with the trouble that was brewing for everybody at the other end of the boat. See appendix number 1.
In 1931 came the League first real test. Japan was in severe economic problems and they invaded Manchuria an area in the North of China rich in natural resources. China appealed to the League, but Japan claimed that China was in a state of anarchy and they were invading in self defence. The League sent officials around the world to assess the situation and it wasn’t until a year later that the Lytton report was issued stating that Japan was in the wrong and Manchuria must be handed back to China. When the report was voted on by the Assembly it was approved by 42 votes to 1. Not surprisingly the one vote against any action being taken against Japan came from, Japan. They were one of the permanent members of the council and had the power of the veto making the vote null and void. Smarting from the insult Japan resigned from the League on the 27th of March 1933 and a week later invaded Jehol another Chinese province. Appendices 2 and 3 clearly show how the League was undermined by its poor organization and the self interest of its leading members to take no action against the Japanese. This proved that the League was powerless if a strong nation decided to pursue an aggressive policy. Japan had committed blatant aggression and got away with it. David Low’s cartoons here portray this event very well. In appendix number 2, the remaining permanent members of the League are seen running away from the Japanese who are beating up a Chinese man, this was how many people viewed what the League was doing, running away from the Chinese because the leading members self interest and lack of commitment to the league. As the dialogue says, “don’t you think after all it may be an idea to have an international police force?” and the second member replies, “tut tut, too risky, much cheaper and wiser to wait until we are all murdered in our beds” As we can see the USA is featured in this cartoon, but they are behind the members of the League and could be suggesting that even if they were a part of the League it may of not made a difference. In appendix number 3 Japan is walking over the League whilst a Lord Lytton, is applying a face saving kit to her. This is showing how permanent members of the League could get away with anything, and how they can just walk all over the League. These cartoons are fair criticisms of the members self interest because of their indecisiveness or lack of interest to take action against the clear aggressors, although it could be argued that Japan was too far away or any action taken on the Japanese would of needed the USA or USSR’s support. This was the beginning of the failure of the League, back in Europe Mussolini and Hitler watched with interest.
The League had tried to solve the problem of disarmament in the 1920’s but with very limited success. There was not much pressure on the League to do anything in the 1920’s about disarmament because the international climate was good and so was the economy. However, in the early 30’s there was certainly more pressure for something to be done. Germany felt that it was time that countries disarmed to their level and also many countries were spending more on armaments than before World War One. The first major attempt at disarmament came in July 1932 when the Germans called for equality, but when this principle could not be agreed on the Germans walked out. Appendix number 4 shows Lows uncanny ability to predict the entire outcome of disarmament. The message is very clear in this cartoon. The man digging the grave for disarmament represents civilization and the lady in the coffin; disarmament. Low is saying that if the idea of disarmament is buried then so is civilization. Lows next cartoon commenting on disarmament, appendix number 5, was released just after Hitler had left the League. This provided countries with reasonable excuse to seek security from increased national armaments. The cartoon is very sarcastic with the title being “Signs of returning prosperity” and hundreds of men queuing to work in an armament factory but also queues for undertakers and gravestone makers suggesting a possible war in the future and death. Lows last cartoon on disarmament, appendix number 6, is on the failure of the disarmament conference in May 1934. Again it is highly sarcastic with a group of savage animals, representing the countries of the League, and the crocodile at the front is saying to a group of sheep, who represent the common people of the world, “My friends we have failed. We just couldn’t control your warlike passions”. The crocodile is shedding a tear, but crocodile tears aren’t real, which is referring to how the countries in the League weren’t really upset about the failure of disarmament. Lows cartoons on disarmament show how the League failed in attempting to do this mainly because of the self interest of its members and their lack of commitment to enforce disarmament. This is a just assessment as to why the conference failed as Low shows in appendix 5 countries “benefited” from not disarming and now that Hitler had left the League and began rearming openly countries felt threatened and felt as if they had to rearm to protect themselves.
What is seen as many by the nail in the coffin for the league was the Abyssinian crisis. In some ways this was a similar crisis to that of Manchuria. Italy was a permanent member of the League like Japan, and Italy wanted to expand its empire. But unlike Manchuria the League could no longer use the excuse that Abyssinia was too far away. France had begun to become friendlier towards Mussolini seeking allies against the growing threat of Hitler. Mussolini said he would be anti-Nazi if France would support Italy’s invasion into Abyssinia. Mussolini took his opportunity after a dispute between Ethiopian and Italian troops at Wal-Wal, fifty miles inside Abyssinia, he claimed this was already Italian territory and demanded an apology and at the same time began preparing his army for a full scale invasion of Abyssinia. Emperor Haile Selassie appealed to the League for help. Low first cartoon on this crisis for the League, appendix number 7, is showing how Britain and especially France were reluctant to do anything to stop Mussolini, because he signed the Stresa Pact. This cartoon is showing the Stresa Pact by Mussolini’s hat which says Abyssinia free hand, Mussolini signed the Stresa pact hoping that he would therefore get Abyssinia without any rejection from France and Britain. Note that the barrel they are in says collective isolation instead of collective security which was what the League was meant to do. This again implies that they were more interested in their own security rather than upholding the Leagues principle, as does the piece of paper Neville Chamberlain is holding; Britain had just given Germany a deal which allowed them a larger navy, again this is breaking the Treaty of Versailles which the League was meant to uphold.
From January 1935 to October 1935 the League was playing for time. In September they did issue a report saying that neither side could be held responsible for the Wal-Wal incident, and put forward a plan which would give Mussolini a small part of Abyssinia, he rejected it. The next month Mussolini launched a full scale invasion. This was a clear cut case of a powerful state attacking a smaller one. The League was designed especially for this and was ideally placed to act. Immediately a committee was set up to discuss what economic sanctions to impose. They did impose some sanctions, but nothing that would stop the war making capacity of Italy. As usual the League delayed the most important decision of whether or not to ban oil exports to Italy. They feared that the Americans would not support the sanctions, that their own economies would suffer too much from sanctions and that shutting the Suez Canal which was owned by France and Britain and was used by Mussolini to get to Abyssinia would be considered as a war like act. David Low sums up the Leagues indecisiveness to impose sanctions in appendix number 8. The woman who is representing the League is holding a key which is the economic sanctions, and is about to place the key in the door which will stop rubber, coal, iron, etc. reaching Italy but the Statesman (Cornel Blimp, who is a symbol of the old British establishment) is telling her that locking up the explosives is a warlike act.
Lows next cartoon, appendix number 9, is very clear. Mussolini is taking off a lid from which the devil is protruding underneath. Many historians would agree with Low saying that it was Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia that started off the Second World War in Europe.
Britain had committed herself firmly to collective security and led the League into sanctions against Italy (mainly because opinion back home was so strong for economic sanctions that the government with a pending general election coming up had no choice). But Laval on the other hand was still reluctant to be tough on his new anti-Nazi friend Mussolini. Appendix number 10 shows this. Low has showed the League and its members as a chain across the road which would lead Italy to victory in Abyssinia. The most important link in the chain is between France and Britain in the middle of the road, but it is here that the link is at the weakest with France only half holding on to Britain fearing they would anger Mussolini if they defied him.
What came next really did undermine the League and put what ever sanctions were in progress in total jeopardy. Hoare and Laval, the two foreign ministers of Britain and France respectively, were hatching a secret plan which was to give Mussolini two thirds of Abyssinia if he called off the invasion. Unfortunately for them these plans were leaked to the press, which proved disastrous for the League. It was seen as a blatant act of treachery against the League and both were immediately sacked. Subsequently all the sanctions lost momentum, America whom were disgusted by the secret actions of Hoare-Laval blocked a move to support the Leagues sanctions, and actually stepped up oil exports to Italy. David Low shows this in appendix number 11, with Britain and France arguing over oil exports America is supplying more than enough oil to Italy to finish of their campaign against Abyssinia. This is showing the delays in sanctions also the US are involved and look shocked at the idea of imposing sanctions. Hitler then chose this delicate moment to re-occupy the Rhineland. If there was any hope of getting France to support sanctions they were now gone. France would now do anything to get Mussolini’s support against Hitler, even if this meant giving away Abyssinia. The League had now been reduced to an empty sham and it was never to even be consulted again until 1946 when it was replaced by the United Nations.
David Low said himself that “A cartoon tells more in a few lines than do ten thousand words” and I agree with him. In just eleven cartoons he has managed to depict the reasons for the failure of the League of Nations and its consequences. In his cartoons he has shown why the League failed because; America was absent from the League, economic sanctions did not work or were never enforced, decisions were slow and the main theme in his cartoons and the most important reason for the failure in my opinion, the self interest of its leading members. The reason why economic sanctions didn’t work was because, mainly Britain and France, were too concerned with their own economies or what the consequences of angering an aggressor would do and he has also shown how the structure of the League helped in its downfall, in terms of how permanent members were virtually untouchable when it came to them breaking the convent. The title asks “How far do David Low’s cartoons show the reasons for the failure of the League of Nations” the answer would be; very accurately.
Word Count 2990
Bibliography
- Years of Wrath, A cartoon history 1932 - 1945, David Low, London, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1986
- English History 1914 – 1945, AJP Taylor, Middlesex, Penguin Books, 1965
- Modern World History, Ben Walsh, London, John Murray, 1996
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Internet website, , David Low autobiography.
- European History 1848 – 1945, T A Morris, HarperCollins, London, 1995
- Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000. © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corporation.
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Internet website, , University of Kent, The Centre for the Study of Cartoons and Caricature
Appendices
Appendices number 1 to 11 in the following booklet.
All the following cartoons were collected from Years of Wrath, Bibliography number 1, except appendix number 3, which was collected from Modern World History, Bibliography number 3.
The page number from which the cartoons were collected from in Years of Wrath is indicated in the top right or left corner of the cartoons.