By 1939 the League of Nations had failed in its role of preventing world peace.

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 By 1939 the League of Nations had failed in its role of preventing world peace.

Describe the work of the League's International Labour Organisation (ILO)

          League's International Labour Organisation was established in 1919, by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of League of Nations. ILO was directed by a Frenchman , Albert Thomas. The ILO brought together the employers, government and workers' representatives once a year. Its aim was to improve the condition of working people throughout the world. The League's International Labour Organisation collected statistics and information about working conditions and it tried to persuade member countries to adopt its suggestions. It specified adequate minimum wages, it introduced sickness and unemployment benefit and old age pensions. It successfully banned poisonous white lead from paint. It limited the hours small children were allowed to work. The ILO hoped to improve the safety of workers.

Why did the requirement that decision of the assembly and council had to be unanimous cause problems for the League?

The primary aim was to solve and settle disputes between members, by diplomacy (negotiation).

·       But the League's structure lead to slow decision making and less effective international dispute settling.

·        The permanent members had more power than the temporary members (they had a veto).

·       The measure including moral condemnation (disapproval), imposition of economic, financial sanctions and usage of military force enabled the leading permanent members to impose their own interest and bypass the League.

How far was Mussolini responsible for the destruction of the authority of the League of Nations? Explain your answer

          Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia in 1935, lead to the damage of the League. Italy was a leading member of the League and wanted to expand its empire. Abyssinia bordered on the Anglo-Egyptian territory of Sudan and the British colonies of Uganda, Kenya and Somaliland. In 1896, the Italian troops tried to invade Abyssinia, but was defeated by an army of tribesman, who were poorly equipped. Mussolini wanted to revenge this and as well as he wanted to invade Abyssinia for its fertile lands and mineral wealth. He wanted conquer Abyssinia and restore glory of Roman Empire.

          In December 1934, he created a dispute between the Italian and Abyssinian soldiers at the Wal-Wal oasis (80 km inside Abyssinia). Mussolini took this as a cue (chance) and claimed it as Italian territory. He demanded an apology and threatened for the invasion of Abyssinia. The Abyssinian emperor Haile Selassie appealed to the League of Nations for help. From January 1935- October 1935, he presumed to negotiate with LON regarding the dispute, but at the same time he was shipping his army and whipping up war fever. Britain and France did not take the situation seriously, instead signed an agreement the Stresa Pact (1935), a formal statement against German rearmament and to stand unite against Germany. This was in return to turn a blind eye to Mussolini's exploitation of Abyssinia.

          However, there was a public outcry and a ballot was taken by LON union in Britain (1934-1935). And most support was in the use of military force to defend Abyssinia from the invasion of Mussolini. Even the British Foreign Minister Hoare favored this but the League never actually id anything to stop Mussolini. On 4th September 1935, League declared that neither side could be held responsible for the Wal-Wal incident and put forward a plan to give Mussolini some parts of Abyssinia, which Mussolini rejected.

          In October 1935, Mussolini's army was ready to attack Abyssinia with a full scale invasion. Abyssinians were no match for the modern Italian army and their modern equipment (tanks, aero planes and poison gas).

          The League was designed to settle such disputes of large, powerful state attacking a smaller one. The government made it clear that sanctions must be imposed and a committee was set up to impose sanctions on Italy. But there was a delay on the side of League by about 2 months. The LON banned army sales, loans, imports and exports (rubber, coal, tin, metals). However, the League failed for the follow:

·        whether to ban oil exports to Italy, fearing America won't support US sanction.

·        feared its members economic interest would be damaged

·        feared 30,000 coal miners in Britain would lose jobs if Wal imports were banned

·        they feared closing the Suez canal that was owned by Britain and France. And this served as a main supply route for Mussolini to Abyssinia

·        Britain and France, the key nations of League feared closing the canal will result in war with Italy

          There were secret dealing between Britain's and France's Foreign Minister Hoare and Lavel in December 1935, to give Mussolini 2/3rd of Abyssinia in return for calling off the invasion. This was not even revealed to LON or the emperor Haile Selassie. Lavel told Hoare that if they don't agree to this, then France would no longer support Sanction against Italy.

          This information was leaked by French press and Haile Selassie demanded an immediate action by LON. This act by Hoare and Lavel was seen as a blatant act of treachery against the League. Hoare and Lavel were sacked. The decision on oil sales were delayed. The American's blocked sanctions on a move to support oil ban, and actually stepped up their oil exports. By this time, large parts of Abyssinia were taken up by Mussolini. The French were desperate to gain the support of Italy and prepared to pay the price of giving Abyssinia to Italy. Italy defied League's order and in May 1936, the capital of Abyssinia , Addis Ababa was taken. On 2nd May, the emperor Haile Selassie was forced to exile and on 9th May, Mussolini formally annexed the entire Abyssinia. The League was helpless, it failed over the Abyssinian crisis. Britain and France's way of handling the crisis as a tool to strengthen this position against Hitler was a failure, because in November 1936, Mussolini and Hitler signed an agreement on their own "the Rome- Berlin Axis". In May 1936, Anthony Eden, the British Foreign Minister declared League had failed and probably lost confidence and could not succeed in future.

          The events in 1935 and 1936, especially the Abyssinian  crisis was a disastu for the LON and had serious consequences for the world peace. Because of Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia, from 1936 onwards, the League was seen as irrelevant to international affairs.

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