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THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
NOTES:
COLLECTIVE SECURITY: An attack by an aggressor nation on another would be
viewed as an attack on all member nations.
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an international organization established on
January 25, 1919 by part I of the Treaty of Versailles, founded with the
intention of reducing armaments, settling disputes between countries and
maintaining living conditions. This was largely motivated by the bloodshed
during World War I. While the League failed to prevent World War II, it was
successful in dealing with minor conflicts throughout the 1920s. The League
held its first meeting on January 10, 1920 and on the same day ratified the
Treaty of Versailles thus officially ending World War I. The first general
assembly of the League was held in Geneva on November 15, 1920.
Reasons for perceiving the League as a failure
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It lacked any armed forces. – NO ARMY
Unanimous vote was required.
Major countries not included. Even though President
Woodrow Wilson had been a driving force behind the
League of Nations, the United States never joined, after its
Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and on
January 19, 1919 voted not to join the League. Italy and
Japan began as permanent members, but left in 1937 and
1932, respectively. Germany was only a member between
1926 and 1933. The USSR joined in 1934; it was expelled for
aggression in 1939 when it invaded Finland.
Self-interest of most-important members. – Britain and
France ran the show!
Economic Sanctions were ineffective – did not use them on
Manchuria, tried the on Italy.
NOTES:
THE SEARCH FOR SECURITY IN EUROPE
REPARATIONS AND WAR DEBTS
Background:
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During the 1920”s and 30’s an effort was made to ensure a
lasting peace. BUT:
* USA
- isolationist attitude
* Britain
- some sympathy for Germany
* France
- keep Germany weak and poor
* USSR - consumed by internal problems, suspicious of capitalists
 Germany – Versailles resentment and reparations/ war
debts further problem
Definitions:
Reparations: Money owed by Germany to Allies for damages caused. $33
Billion
War Debts: Money owed by Allies to each other. USA only creditor would not
cancel. In order for the USA to collect, Germany must pay reparations.
Sequence:
1922 – In economic ruin, Germany defaults and asks for a 3-year suspension,
Britain agrees, France and Belgium do not.
1923 – Occupation of the Ruhr by France and Belgium. The Ruhr was the
industrial heartland of Germany. French and Belgian forces went in to force
the German workers to produce products so the Allies could collect
reparations. It did not really work. There was passive resistance, strikes. The
French tried bringing in there own workers. The occupation of the Ruhr led to
a collapse of the German economy. There was massive inflation and large
increase in unemployment. Germany was now unable to pay any reparations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5xO3mHIKbk&feature=related
Gustav Stresemann
In the new government led by Wilhelm Marx, Stresemann was appointed as
foreign minister. He accepted the Dawes Plan (1924) as it resulted in the
French Army withdrawing from the Ruhr. Under Hans Luther Stresemann's
skilled statesmanship led to the Locarno Treaty (December, 1925), the
German-Soviet Treaty (April, 1926) and Germany joining the League of Nations
in 1926. Later that year he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1924 – The Dawes Plan: American plan for the restructuring of reparation
payments. The Americans involved themselves (isolationist) because they
wanted their War Debts to be repaid. So they adjusted Germany’s ability to pay.
France and Belgium leave the Ruhr 1925.
1929 – The Young Plan: Another American led restructuring plan. Germany
agrees provided the Allies leave the Rhineland. This would fall apart with the
Depression.
1929/30 – The Depression: Stock Market crash, low wages, high unemployment,
low productivity, world wide, severe.
France between the wars:
- It took until 1925 to rebuild destroyed France.
- Heavily depended on reparation payments from Germany
- Were still very afraid of Germany even in its weakened state.
- Built the Maginot Line, a series of steel and concrete forts along the French
boarder stretching from Belgium to Switzerland.
- French government was very fractionalized and weak.
- The Socialists and Communists actually formed a coalition government in
1936 called the Front Populaire.
NOTES:
Britain between the wars:
- After WW I, Britain had amassed a huge debt, suffered
heavy causalities and lost its naval supremacy.
- This led to a rise in Pacifism in Britain, especially from
the young, to never have another war.
- Many industrial problems, layoffs, deflation, the cost of
living fell, people on welfare.
- Consumer demands fell, so industrial production
suffered.
- Unions and strikes began to play major roles in politics
and daily life.
- The Labor Party became the official opposition in
Britain.
- British protest would be a contest of votes, not street
violence.
- The British Empire now classed its colonies as Dominions
(Canada, India, and Australia).
Britain’s main foreign policy goal was now to rebuild their economy based on
global trade with her Dominions, giving them independence, instead of basic
exploitation.
ALLIANCES/PEACE MOVEMENTS to 1936 in EUROPE
1. France:
- Germany a permanent threat.
- Failed to get a guarantee of assistance from the USA so turned to Eastern
Europe.
- Established the Little Entente with Poland, Rumania, Czechoslovakia,
Yugoslavia
- This surrounded Germany and made France feel safer.
2. USSR:
- an outcast, fears German plans in the Balkans
- 1922 Treaty of Rapallo – Germany and the USSR agree not to collect
reparations from one another. For-runner of Non-aggression pact. USSR tries
to make treaties with France and Britain, but rejected.
3. Italy:
- Germany tries to ANSCHLUSS (unification of Austria with
Germany).
- 1935 Stressa Front (conference) Brit, France and Italy work together to
prevent this form happening because Italy fears a common boarder with
Germany even though they are both Fascist.
Notes:
Disarmament and Negotiation
1922 – WASHINGTON CONFERENCE: Agreement to limit size of navies. Brit=5;
USA=5; Japan=3; France and Italy=1.67. No provision for inspection.
1925 – LOCARNO TREATY: Britain, France, Belgium, Germany and Italy agree
to respect each other’s boarders. Germany admitted to the League of Nations
– optimism.
1928 – KELLOGG/ BRIAND PACT: 15 nations agree to renounce war except in
self-defense.
1935 – ANGLO-GERMAN NAVAL TREATY: Britain and Germany agree on naval
restriction, which are contrary to the Versailles Treaty. Britain’s reason was
that Germany was going to rearm anyway, so try and put some kind of limit on
it, or have some control. Wishful thinking!
WHY DID DEMOCRACY (Weimar Republic) FAIL?
 Gustav Stressman had Germany on the right track
during the 1920’s
 The economy was turning around, and the German
Mark was regaining value.
 Internationally, Germany was gaining some credibility
back
 The Locarno Treaty brought Germany into the League
of Nations – BUT!
1. Germans had no real experience in democratic
government. Coalition government could not really agree
on how to best serve Germany, no could they really stop
internal economic problems.
2. The Weimar government had to enforce the Treaty of
Versailles. So some blamed the government for giving into
the world powers.
3. Inflation ruined the economic stability of the middle
class – they blamed the government.
4. There were too many political parties – the disenchanted could find a party
to support.
5. Hitler found support from the middle class, and anti-Communist supporters.
Also the industrialists supported Hitler for obvious reasons.
6. The Depression hit Germany hard – the Nazi’s offered a way out and an
alternative to Communism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEt7PLQpjXY&feature=related