JASMINE JABASINGH

1) What was the impact on Germany of the Versailles Treaty and how did Germany react to it? 2) How far Were Wilson's, Lloyd Georg's and Clemenceau's aims in the Paris Peace Conference compatible? 3) The treaties at the end of the First World War were certainly not fair but then there was no possibility that they could have been fair. To what extent do you agree wit this judgment? 4) Describe the military restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. 5) Explain why Germans felt humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles. 6) To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles justifiable at the time? 7) The organization and of the League were very significant in causing its eventual failure'. Do you agree? 8) If the LON had been supported by the US and an army, then the League could have been very effective in preventing wars'. How far do you agree? 9) In 1939 the second world war began. Does this mean that the LON failed? 10) "Great powers disagreement cau...

What was the Great Depression?                With overproduction and falling demand, the capitalist economies broke down. The Great was a series of connected economic changes that hit the world's countries from 1929 and lasted well in to the 1930's. Factories closed, farmers went bankrupt and millions lost their jobs and joined long lines of the unemployed.                Starting in the US, it US banks had lent money to business in European countries; when the Wall Street Crash happened the lenders wanted their money back. How did t he Great Depression lead to collapse of International Peace?                When the Great Depression took place, Japan couldn't get any resources from the United States of America, and therefore it invaded Manchuria in China. At this time LON didn't take any actions against Japan. So LON was seen powerless and ineffi...

            Three key events made it obvious to the world that the League was ineffective when faced with countries that pursued national rather than international interests. The failure of the Disarmament Conference. In the peace settlement, disarmament was a feature of the treaties- but it was only the losers who were made to disarm. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria. The Great Depression meant that Japan's exports were finding fewer customers and so claiming less income. Japan was not self-sufficient in food, so needed this income for vital imports. On 18 September, a bomb exploded on the south Manchurian railway. Immediately after the explosion part of Kwantung Army moved quickly to take over the town of Mukden. China appealed to the League but the response was so weak. The Italian invasion of Abyssinia Italy's interest in Abyssinia was long-standing. In 1896, Italy had attempted an invasion , but failed. Once Mussolini took po...

The new international organization had three main parts: the Secretariat, Assembly and the Council. From the very beginning the organization of the League had several weakness. First, it was established by the Treaty of Versailles, The Germans hated the treaty and the Italians and Japanese disliked part of it. so the League was not fully supported. Second, the Assembly could only make a decision by a unanimous vote, and on the council. All members had a veto. When there was a crisis, it was very hard to agree on what to do. Even when decisions were made the League had no army to enforce them. Third, The League had no army of its own to ensure its decision were followed through. This was particular importance when the League faced serious challenges in the 1930s from Italy's Abyssinian and from Japan (in Manchuria).

How Successful was the League in the 1920's? In its first ten years the League dealt with thirty disputes between states. Now we need to look at some specific examples. A. The Aland Islands                They are located between Sweden and Finland and both countries claimed them. Although 95% of the population was ethnic Swedes, the islands belonged to Finland. In June 1920, the dispute was referred to the Council of the League of Nations. The conclusion was that the island should stay under Finland's rule. This was because to ward the Aland islands to Sweden would set a dangerous precedent other Swedish communities living in Finland might make similar claims. Outside the area, other minority groups in Europe might want to do the same. B. The Corfu incident, 1923                An Italian, General Tellini, and four of his assistants, who had been marking out the new boarder between Alban...

  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...