It appeared that each country was more concerned about its own interests, than that of the good of the League.
Also, attempts to abolish bomber planes and to prohibit the manufacture of chemical weapons collapsed. Another topic that was subject to great debate was Germany.
Germany proposed that all countries disarm down to its own level, a proposal that was rejected by the Conference. When the British sent a note that tried to iron out any difficulties, the Germans were angered by the superior tone of the note.
Finally, nearly six months after the Conference began, an agreement was reached to treat Germany equally. It had taken half a year, and no effective decisions had been made.
Finally, in June 1933, Britain produced an ambitious disarmament plan. However, this was not agreed to, and in October 1933, Germany withdrew from the Conference.
This finally signalled the end of the Conference and although it struggled on for a year, it became virtually pointless. Tensions increased after the failure of the Conference, and countries began to start to increase their weapons stockpiles at very fast rate.
Because the representatives could not come to a decision about disarmament, the Conference failed. The majority were never serious about disarming anyway, and saw the Conference as a mere formality. They were more concerned with their own interests, and because of this disarmament failed.
When Mussolini’s Italian Army invaded the African state of Abyssinia, Haille Selassie, the Abyssinian leader, called upon the League for help. This was a perfect opportunity for the League to intervene, unlike the Manchurian crisis; Abyssinia was in easy reach of the League’s member states in Europe.
Many factors were at play in the League’s failure to resolve the Abyssinian crisis. The first was the lack of decisive action.
The League immediately imposed economic sanctions on Italy. All loans and arms sales to Italy were banned. All imports and exports were also banned. However, most members of the League were worried about whether to stop oil sales to Italy. They feared that America would not support the sanctions, which would mean that any sanctions placed on Italy by the League would be ineffectual. There was also concern that sanctions would damage the member countries’ economy. The British cabinet was informed that 30,000 coal miners stood to lose their jobs because of a ban on coal exports to Italy.
The League delayed the decision to ban oil sales to Italy for two months, which gave Mussolini eight weeks to build up his stockpile of raw materials. When the ban finally was put in place, it was too late, and to make matters worse, the Americans increased their exports to Italy during the League’s blockade.
Another crucial element of the League’s failure, was the selfish actions of leading members of the League and their conservative actions. Britain and France both owned the Suez Canal, the main shipping route for supply ships to Mussolini in Abyssinia. Closure of the Canal would have cut off Mussolini from all support and ended the troubles very quickly. However, both countries were worried that doing so would have resulted in war with Italy.
Equally damaging was the double dealing of Britain and France behind the scenes. In December 1935, while sanctions were being discusses, the Hoare Laval Pact was formed with Italy between Britain and France. The Pact gave Mussolini two thirds of Abyssinia in return for calling off the invasion. Neither Haille Selassie nor the League were consulted in the proposal of the plan. France told the British that if they did not agree to the plan, France would no longer support the sanctions on Italy.
The details of the Pact were eventually leaked to the French press, and the details of the treacherous Plan came to light. This all but destroyed the talks about sanctions on Italy, and delayed the question of banning oil sales to Italy even further. By the time the talks resumed, Mussolini already had taken over large parts of Abyssinia. To make matters worse, America blocked a move to support the League’s sanctions.
Once again, because many countries acted in their own interests, the authority of the League was undermined, meaning that the League was in no position to stop Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia.
2) Explain whether you agree or disagree with this statement: ‘The League failed in the 1930s simply because it faced greater challenges than it had faced in the 1920s’.
During the 1920s many minor border disputes took place. The League was able to solve some of these conflicts, but when more powerful countries confronted the League, the League backed down. However, in the 1920s international relations had not yet deteriorated to the levels that were seen during the 1930s.
During the 1920s, the only major country that belonged to the League, to defy the League was Italy. Mussolini invaded Corfu in retaliation for the deaths of some Italian soldiers by Greek terrorists. The League condemned Mussolini’s actions and ordered Greece to pay compensation to Italy when the killers were found. Officially Mussolini accepted the League’s ruling, but persuaded the Conference of Ambassadors to allow the money to be paid immediately to Italy. Mussolini withdrew from Corfu, boasting a triumph.
Mussolini may have changed the League’s ruling, but still accepted the League’s ruling and pulled out of Corfu. However, during the 1930s, several major and crucial events happened that severely tested the League’s authority even further.
In 1931, Japan, a permanent member of the League’s council invaded Manchuria in North China. The League took many months to take any action, and eventually condemned Japan’s actions and ordered them to withdraw from Manchuria. Japan however, refused, and eventually moved further inland taking more Chinese provinces, in defiance of the League. Whilst Japan was not the first major country to ignore the League, it was the first country to refuse to listen the League’s orders and continue defying the League. Mussolini had pulled out of Corfu, but Japan remained in China taking over more land. There was virtually nothing the League could do.
Another severe challenge was the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935. Mussolini had watched with interest, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and followed suit, invading the African state of Abyssinia. Once again the League deliberated over what action to take, allowing Mussolini to strengthen his position in Abyssinia.
The League had no army to combat Italy, and its members were reluctant to help. Then, in 1936 Hitler marched his troops in to the Rhineland, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, timing it with Mussolini in Italy. Later that year, the fatal blow to the League was delivered when Hitler and Mussolini signed the Rome-Berlin Axis, thus uniting Italy and Germany.
During the 1920s, Europe was rebuilding itself after the ruins of the First World War; there were no countries in a position to fight a war. However, after the World Depression had ended, most countries in Europe had a strong enough economy to fight a war, and with the failure of disarmament and the League proving ever more futile, the relations between European countries became very fragile. Because of these reasons, I believe the League faced greater challenges during the 1930s because there was a very real possibility of war whereas during the 1920s, with the horrors of the First World War just past, war was unthinkable. However, with the state of invasions, alliances and relations in Europe and the world during the 1930s the League had to tread very carefully in order to avoid war.
