To what extent was the League of Nations a success?
How was the League organized?
Key organs
Secretariat ● LON’s civil service.
● Do all the administrative and financial work like organizing conferences,
distributing agendas, monitoring budgets, and publishing reports.
Assembly ● Met once a year.
● Every LON member had one vote.
● Deals with general policy issues.
● Controlled LON’s budget.
● Admit new members.
● Elects impermanent Council members.
Council ● LON’s executive body.
● Met 4-5 times a year and in times of crisis.
● Has permanent and impermanent members.
● In 1920, permanent members were Britain, France, Italy, and Japan. In
1926, Germany became a permanent member as well.
● Number of impermanent members increased from 4 in 1920 to 11 in 1936.
Independent organisations
Permanent Court of ● Based in the Hague
International Justice ● Provide judgment service to countries in dispute.
● Provide legal advice to the Council,
● 11 judges and 4 deputy judges elected for 9 years by the Council
and Assembly.
International Labor ● Based in Geneva.
Organisation ● Has many committees with representatives of government,
employers, and workers.
● Encourages good working practices. Regard issues like working
hours, women’s rights, child labor, employers’ responsibility.
Organisations addressing peace settlement, social, and economic problems
Mandates Commission Managed victorious countries’ (Britain and France) administration of
Germany and Turkey’s former colonies.
Danzig commission Controlled Danzig for LON.
, Minorities Commission Tried to make a general improvement for the mistreated racial
minorities.
Intellectual Cooperation Encouraged cultural exchanges and intellectual contact among
Organisation academics, artists, and writers.
Special Committee for Tried to reduce drug misuse and smuggling.
Drug Traffic
How far did weaknesses in the League’s organisation make failure inevitable?
Membership
The Assembly & Council would’ve had effective operations & influences if all major countries were
represented. This was Wilson’s intention when he initiated a general assembly of nations, but the
LON didn’t achieve this.
USA
● Although it was President Wilson who inspired LON, America refused to join. Many in the
American Senate thought that LON would bring America into future wars and disputes.
● LON couldn’t be successful without the world’s most powerful, influential, and wealthy
country. Its ability to stop aggressive countries is reduced and its general reputation is
affected.
Germany
● Germany couldn’t join LON until it showed peaceful intentions. This made LON looking like a
club for the victorious powers associated with the Treaty of Versailles.
● Germany eventually joined in 1926 as a permanent Council member. But Hitler’s foreign
policy actions rid Germany from LON in 1933. It only stayed there for 7 years.
Soviet Russia
● Wasn’t invited to join because it was communist and wanted to overthrow capitalism. It
anyways didn’t feel the need to join because LON members like Britain, France, and Japan
already helped with the counter-revolution during the Russian Civil War (1918-1921).
● By the late 1920s, both sides had more tolerance. So it joined LON in 1934. It was then
expelled in December 1939 for invading Finland.
Japan
● An original LON member. Left in 1933 as it received criticism for invading Manchuria.
Italy
● An original LON member. Left in 1937 after invading Abyssinia and the imposition of
sanctions.
Britain & France
● Major members throughout LON’s existence. They were weakened by WWI but still tried to
work LON out.
How was the League organized?
Key organs
Secretariat ● LON’s civil service.
● Do all the administrative and financial work like organizing conferences,
distributing agendas, monitoring budgets, and publishing reports.
Assembly ● Met once a year.
● Every LON member had one vote.
● Deals with general policy issues.
● Controlled LON’s budget.
● Admit new members.
● Elects impermanent Council members.
Council ● LON’s executive body.
● Met 4-5 times a year and in times of crisis.
● Has permanent and impermanent members.
● In 1920, permanent members were Britain, France, Italy, and Japan. In
1926, Germany became a permanent member as well.
● Number of impermanent members increased from 4 in 1920 to 11 in 1936.
Independent organisations
Permanent Court of ● Based in the Hague
International Justice ● Provide judgment service to countries in dispute.
● Provide legal advice to the Council,
● 11 judges and 4 deputy judges elected for 9 years by the Council
and Assembly.
International Labor ● Based in Geneva.
Organisation ● Has many committees with representatives of government,
employers, and workers.
● Encourages good working practices. Regard issues like working
hours, women’s rights, child labor, employers’ responsibility.
Organisations addressing peace settlement, social, and economic problems
Mandates Commission Managed victorious countries’ (Britain and France) administration of
Germany and Turkey’s former colonies.
Danzig commission Controlled Danzig for LON.
, Minorities Commission Tried to make a general improvement for the mistreated racial
minorities.
Intellectual Cooperation Encouraged cultural exchanges and intellectual contact among
Organisation academics, artists, and writers.
Special Committee for Tried to reduce drug misuse and smuggling.
Drug Traffic
How far did weaknesses in the League’s organisation make failure inevitable?
Membership
The Assembly & Council would’ve had effective operations & influences if all major countries were
represented. This was Wilson’s intention when he initiated a general assembly of nations, but the
LON didn’t achieve this.
USA
● Although it was President Wilson who inspired LON, America refused to join. Many in the
American Senate thought that LON would bring America into future wars and disputes.
● LON couldn’t be successful without the world’s most powerful, influential, and wealthy
country. Its ability to stop aggressive countries is reduced and its general reputation is
affected.
Germany
● Germany couldn’t join LON until it showed peaceful intentions. This made LON looking like a
club for the victorious powers associated with the Treaty of Versailles.
● Germany eventually joined in 1926 as a permanent Council member. But Hitler’s foreign
policy actions rid Germany from LON in 1933. It only stayed there for 7 years.
Soviet Russia
● Wasn’t invited to join because it was communist and wanted to overthrow capitalism. It
anyways didn’t feel the need to join because LON members like Britain, France, and Japan
already helped with the counter-revolution during the Russian Civil War (1918-1921).
● By the late 1920s, both sides had more tolerance. So it joined LON in 1934. It was then
expelled in December 1939 for invading Finland.
Japan
● An original LON member. Left in 1933 as it received criticism for invading Manchuria.
Italy
● An original LON member. Left in 1937 after invading Abyssinia and the imposition of
sanctions.
Britain & France
● Major members throughout LON’s existence. They were weakened by WWI but still tried to
work LON out.
