Test your Understanding

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•  Why was the League of Nations set up in 1919?
  • Because Wilson wanted it more than anything else.
•  What Treaty set up the League of Nations
  • Treaty of Versailles
•  What were the four aims of the League of Nations?
  • Stop Wars
  • Improve people's lives and jobs
  • Disarmament
  • Enforce the Treaty of Versailles
•  What happened when Wilson went back home to America?
  • The Senate refused to join the League or ratify the Treaty of Versailles
•  Why did the Americans not want to join the League of Nations?
  • Many Americans were German immigrants and hated the Treaty of Versailles
  • Americans did not want to get involved in European affairs because it might involve Americans dying in a war.
  • Americans did not want to get involved in European affairs because it might cost money
  • Many Americans were anti-British and hated the British Empire (the American revolution had been to get out of the British Empire)
•  How many countries joined the League of Nations in 1919?
  • 42
•  How many members did the League have in the 1930s?
  • 60
•  Name three powerful countries which were not members of the League.
  • USA
  • USSR
  • Germany
•  Why was Russia not a member of the League?
  • A Communist country, hated Britain and France
•  Why was Germany not a member of the League?
  • Not allowed to join by the Treaty of Versailles
•  Who were the four main members of the League?
  • Britain,
  • France,
  • Italy,
  • Japan
•  What four powers did the League have to enforce its decisions? Explain them.
  • Covenant
  • Condemnation
  • Arbitration
  • Sanctions
•  What did the League NOT have which made it hard for it to enforce its decisions?
  • An army
•  What were the eight main parts of the League’s organisation?
  • Secretariat
  • Council
  • Assembly
  • Court of International Justice
  • Health Committee
  • International Labour Organisation
  • Refugees Commission
  • Mandates Commission
  • Slavery Commission
•  How many times a year did the League’s ‘Assembly’ meet?
  • once a year
•  How many times a year did the ‘Council’ meet?
  • 4-5 times a year, and when necessary
•  What did the ‘Court of International Justice’ do?
  • settled small disputes
•  What did the ‘Health Committee’ of the League do?
  • tried to improve the health of the people of the world
•  What did the ‘Slavery Committee’ of the League do?
  • Tried to free all enslaved people
•  What did the ‘Refugee Committee’ of the League do?
  • tried to get refugees home, or into camps
•  What was the job of the Secretariat’?
  • To organise the work of the committees, and liaise between them
•  Which two countries were involved in the Corfu dispute of 1923?
  • Italy and Greece
•  Who was the leader of Italy?
  • Mussolini
•  Which two countries were involved in the Bulgaria incident of 1925?
  • Bulgaria and Greece
•  How many prisoners of war did the League get home?
  • Half a million
•  In which country did the League set up a refugee camp?
  • Turkey
•  Which two diseases did the League try to destroy?
  • leprosy and malaria
•  How did the League try to say no to drugs?
  • Closed down 4 Swiss drugs companies
•  How many enslaved people did the League set free?
  • 200,000
•  Which two countries did the League send economics experts to?
  • Austria and Hungary
•  What did the Kellogg-Briand Pact promise in 1928?
  • To abolish war
•  How did Britain and France make Germany pay reparations in 1921?
  • Invaded the Ruhr
•  What did the League try to arrange at its disarmament conference?
  • All nations to reduce their weapons
•  Why did the Disarmament Conference of 1931 fail?
  • Hitler demanded equality with the other countries
•  Which country broke the Treaty of Versailles by attacking Russia in 1920?
  • Poland
•  What did the League’s ‘International Labour Organisation’ try to do?
  • 48-hour week
•  Which country invaded Manchuria in 1931?
  • Japan
•  What was the ‘economic depression’ of the 1930s?
  • Wall Street (the US Stock Market) crashed
  • USA called in loans
  • Factories closed down
  • People out of work/ starved
•  Why didn’t France and Britain try to force Japan to leave Manchuria?
  • Did not want to go to war
•  Which country did Italy invade in 1935?
  • Abyssinia
•  What did Britain and France secretly agree with Italy?
  • to let Italy have Abyssinia
•  What effect did the League’s failures in Manchuria and Abyssinia have?
  • Destroyed confidence in it
  • Many countries left
•  List seven reasons the League failed.
  • Weak
  • America
  • Structure/ organisation
  • Dictators
  • Unsuccessful
  • Members
  • 'Big Bullies'