However aggression was discouraged over the Aaland Islands, 1921. Both Sweden and Finland wanted control over the Aaland Islands which were midway between each country. Both countries were threatening to fight for the Islands. Both countries appealed to the league, after studying the matter closely, the league said the islands should go to Finland. Sweden accepted the leagues ruling and war was avoided. This was a success.
Secondly there were successes when encouraging countries to co-operate, in business and trade especially. The Upper Silesia, 1921 case is a perfect example of success, on the leagues part. Upper Silesia was an industrial region on the border of Germany and Poland. It was populated by both German and Polish people. Both Germany and Poland wanted control of it, due to its rich iron and steel industry. In 1920 a plebiscite was organised for Silesians to vote for which country they wished to join. The league sent out British and French troops to keep order at polling booths. The industrial areas voted mainly for Germany and the rural areas voted mainly for Poland. The league therefore divided the region along these lines but it built in many safe guards to prevent future disputes. It safe guarded rail links between the two countries and made arrangements for water and power supplies from one side of the boarder to be supplied to the other. Both countries accepted the decision.
Thirdly there was probably the leagues biggest failure. Disarmament. In 1921 at the Washington conference the USA, Japan, Britain and France agreed to limit the size of their navies. That was as far as disarmament ever got.
In 1923, the leagues first attempt at a disarmament treaty was accepted by France and by other nations. Britain rejected the treaty because it meant defending other countries.
In 1926, plans were finally made for a disarmament conference. But it took a further five years to agree a draft convention for the conference to focus on. That was then rejected by Germany in 1933.
Fourthly there were many successes in improving the lives of civilians. The league did tremendous work in getting refugees and former prisoners of war back to their homelands. It is estimated that about 400’000 prisoners were returned home by the leagues agencies only a few years after the war. When a refugee crisis hit turkey in 1922, hundreds of thousands of people had to be housed in refugee camps. The league worked quickly to stamp out cholera, smallpox, and dysentery in the camps.
We can see that in some of its aims the league was much more successful then in others. For example the league had many more successes in improving the lives of civilians then in disarmament.
From the start the league was faced with certain weaknesses, so perhaps it is not true to say that “nobody could have foreseen its eventual failure”
For example it was weak because they didn’t have their own armed forces and the fact that the USA never joined weakened the league even more.
In conclusion I think the league was a great success in the 1920’s because although we now know with hindsight that the league eventually failed. In the 1920’s it helped the lives of many civilians and settled many border disputes.
