The League of Nations Revision Notes

Authors Avatar by r14m98 (student)

The League of Nations Revision 

FOUR Aims of the League [memory word: SIDE]

  1. Stop war – (Article 10 of the Covenant = ‘collective security’)
  2. Improve people's lives and Jobs – Encourage co-operation in trade/ Economic and social agencies.
  3. Disarmament
  4. Enforce the Treaty of Versailles

Membership of the League of Nations 

  1. 42 countries joined at the start. By the 1930s this had risen to 60.
  2. May 1920, the US Senate voted against Versailles.
  3. The USSR did not join the League. In 1919 it set up the Comintern to cause revolution.
  4. Germany was not allowed to join the League as a punishment for causing WWI.
  5. The leading members were Britain and France, helped by Japan and Italy.

The Structure of the League [memory word: SCACHIRMS]

secretariat: supposed to co-ordinate the different functions of the League/ too few secretaries to do the work - slow and inefficient 

Council: met 4-5 times a year/ 5 permanent members - Br, Fr, It, Jap & Ger - with a veto.

Assembly: the League’s main meeting, held once a year/ decisions only by unanimous vote

Join now!

+ the Committees: Court of international justice/ Health committee/ International labour organization/ Refugees committee/ Mandates commission/ Slavery commission 

ALSO Conference of ambassadors (not really part of the League's organisation).

Three Strengths of the League [memory Word: SUM]

  1. Set up by the Treaty of Versailles
  2. Universal membership, all of which had signed the Covenant promising to support the League.
  3. Means of Influence – Covenant (26 promises which every member agreed to follow)/ Moral condemnation (public opinion)/ Arbitration (act as a referee)/ Sanctions (refuse to trade)/ Military Force (send an army)/ ‘Community ...

This is a preview of the whole essay