The League in the 1920s

Successes of the League [TASBI]

The main aim of the League of Nations was to stop wars.  In the 1920s, there were many small disputes between countries, which the League tried to solve, and in some it could be said to have been successful – for example:

1.  Teschen, 1920

In 1919, Poland and Czechoslovakia fought over this area, which was rich in coal; in 1920 the League arbitrated on the dispute, splitting the area between the two countries.  Although neither country was happy about the decision, they accepted it and stopped the fighting.

2.  Åland Islands, 1921

The League settled a territorial dispute between Sweden and Finland – after an investigation it said that the islands should belong to Finland; Sweden and Finland agreed.

3.  Silesia, 1921

The League settled a territorial dispute over Upper Silesia (rich in coal) between Germany and Poland – it held a plebiscite and suggested a partition; Germany and Poland agreed.

4.  Bulgaria, 1925

Stray Dog War: after a Greek Captain was shot while trying to retrieve his dog, which had run across the border, Greece invaded Bulgaria and occupied the town of Petrich.  Bulgaria did not fight back, but appealed to the League.  The League ordered Greece to withdraw, which the Greeks did ... though they complained bitterly.

5.  Iraq, 1926

The Turks demanded Mosul, a part of Iraq (a British mandate) which was rich in oil.  The League supported Iraq/ Britain; Turkey agreed (Treaty of Ankara).  Britain gave Turkey a share in the oil revenues.

     (Interesting fact: in 1992, the people of Mosul, who were being persecuted by Saddam Hussein, went to the United Nations and cited League of Nations documents guaranteeing them minority protections in 1924, when the League gave Mosul to Iraq.  This incident may have been a 'success' for the League, but it was a disaster for the Kurds who lived there.)

Going Deeper

The following links will help you widen your knowledge:

A timeline of key events, 1919-1932

The League and Reparations

The League and Disarmament

What were the successes of the League's commissions? - CleverLili

- Giles Hill on the establishment of the League

Powerpoint - The League in the 1920s

  Simple Essay: What were the sucesses and failures of the League in the 1920s?

Source A

This British cartoon of 1925 shows Greece and Bulgaria fighting – like Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee in the story Alice in Wonderland.
The League, like a dove of peace, stops the fight.  A poem under the cartoon reads:

               'Just then came down a monstrous dove
                      Whose force was purely moral
              Which turned the heroes' hearts to love
                      And made them drop their quarrel.'

Click here for the interpretation

Failures of the League [VIMCOB]

1. Vilna, 1920

The Poles had captured Vilna (the capital of Lithuania) in 1919, but had been driven out.  Poland then appealed to the League, which organised negotiations (including trying to organise a plebiscite).   A preliminary agreement was undone when the Polish General Zeligowski, apparently without his government support, nevertheless invaded again.  the League refused to agree with Lithuania that the Poles had "resorted to war in disregard of its covenants", and in March 1923 the Conference of Ambassadors intervened and gave the land to Poland.

2. Invasion of the Ruhr, 1923

French & Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr when the Germans did not pay reparations; the League was not even consulted, and Britain and the US disagreed.

3. Memel, 1923

Lithuania seized Memel, a German port under League control. The League told Lithuania to leave, but the Conference of Ambassadors gave Memel to Lithuania.

4. Corfu, 1923

An Italian general named Tellini was murdered in Greece, so Italy occupied Corfu.  Greece appealed to the League for help, which ordered Mussolini to leave – but the Conference of Ambassadors overruled the League, agreed that Italy could retain control, and even forced Greece to pay compensation to Italy.  Greece agreed, but complained that there seemed to be different rules for different countries.

5. Other Agreements

It was a bad sign that most countries relied, not on the League, but on separate agreements to keep them safe:

•   Washington Treaty, 1921 (a naval agreement between USA, Britain and Japan);

•   Dawes Plan, 1924 (when the economy of Europe threatened to go into meltdown, the USA and Britain set up a Committee under US Budget Director Charles Dawes. It eased Germany's reparations payments and the US gave Germany a huge loan.)  

•   Locarno Pacts, 1925 (A series of treaties in which Germany agreed to respect the Treaty of Versailles, and in return was allowed to join the League of Nations.  Hailed as a victory for peace, it was a bad sign that this was agreed outside, not by, the League of Nations)

•   The Geneva Protocol, 1925 (a mutual promise not to use poison gas or germ warfare – failed because Britain changed its mind at the last minute and refused to sign it! The USA and Japan also refused to sign.)

•   The Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928 (Sixty-five countries signed a treaty, sponsored by US Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg and French foreign minister Aristide Briand, not to use war to resolve disputes – but then they just ignored it.)

•   Young Plan, 1929 (A Committee under American banker Owen D Young reduced Germany's reparations payments and agreed to float a huge loan to Germany.)

6. Bolivia, 1928

Chaco War: a border dispute between Paraguay and Bolivia – Paraguay appealed to the League, but Bolivia refused to agree. A ceasfire was brokered by the USA, but full-scale war broke out in 1932.

The League's Other Work in the 1920s [SIDE]

Besides its aim to Stop Wars, the League of Nations had three other aims:

•  Improve people’s lives and jobs,

•  Disarmament,

•  Enforce the Treaty of Versailles (including resolving the problem of Reparations).

Historians have sometimes suggested that the League – whilst inevitably failing in its (impossible) task of preventing nations coming into conflict with each other – nevertheless did excellent work in these other tasks. 

As you study what the League did in these areas, it will help you to decide whether you think the League was a success or a failure overall:

a.      Disarmament

The League set up a Commission to organise a Disarmament Conference (but when it eventually met in 1932, it failed because Germany demanded equality of armaments with everybody else).

b.      Reparations (1921)

When the Germans refused to pay, France and Britain invaded Germany and made them pay (as the Treaty of Versailes said).  

c.      International Labour Organisation

The ILO was set up as an international forum for regulating and improving the conditions of labour.  It gathered information and passed Conventions, notably on minimum wages and social insurance, but failed to persuade countries to adopt a 48-hour week. 
The ILO still continues its work today.

d.      Permanent Court of International Justice

The Court made a number of decisions which enforced and interpreted the Treaty of Versailles, but it also made important decisions on general matters of international law. 
The International Court of Justice still continues its work today.

e.      Enslaved people

The League attacked slave traders in Sierra Lone and Burma and freed 200,000 enslaved people.  

f.      Economic problems

The League sent economics experts to help Austria (1922) and Hungary (1923).  

g.      Disease

The League worked to prevent malaria (by exterminating mosquitoes) and leprosy.  

h.      Drugs

The League closed down four big Swiss companies which were selling drugs.  

i.      Prisoners of War

The League took home 4000,000 World War One prisoners of war. 

j.      Refugees (1922)

The League set up camps and fed Turkish refugees.