League of Nations: Manchurian Crisis 1931/33

Structure & Power

Abyssinian Crisis 1935/37 League of Nations:

Membership
 Manchurian Crisis 1931/33
Japan was short of raw resources [e.g. coal] and suffering after the Wall Street Crash.
The Japanese said the Chinese had blown up a Japanese owned railway at Mukden in
Manchuria. The Japanese invaded. Lord Lyton was sent by the League to find out
what went on. He said Japan should leave Manchuria. Instead they left the league.
UK did not want to risk its fleet or France its army and USSR were not in the league.
{D]
The League looked weak because it took Lyton a year and then he was ignored.
Without USA, no sanctions would work as USA was Japans major trading partner. [E]
GB & France would not risk troops to intervene so far from their colonies. [E]
Italy saw Japan get away with invading Manchuria and felt they could attack
Abyssinia. [A]
League of Nations Membership
France & GB: Members throughout.
Italy: Left in 1937 in protest at its treatment during Abyssinian Crisis.
Japan: Left in 1933 in protest at its treatment during Manchurian Crisis
Germany: Not allowed to join until it proved itself. Joined 1926, Hitler
left in 1933.
USA: Never joinedAmericans turned isolation.
USSR: Communist government not recognised in 1920. Joined 1934,
worried at rise of Nazisthrown out 1939 after invasion of Finland.
League of Nations: Structure & Power
Assembly: Met once a year, each country had one seat.
Council: Italy, Japan, GB, France permanent memberswho can veto any
action. 4 non-permanent members.
Secretariat: The civil service, met in Geneva.
Court of Justice: Met in The Hague, Netherlands. Dealt with international
law.
PowerMoral Sanctionscan tell a country it has broken international law
to pressure it to stop. Economic Sanctionsstop trading with a country to
hurt its economy. Military Sanctionsa League of Nations Army could take
actionit never did.
Abyssinian Crisis 1935/37
In 1896 Abyssinia beat Italy in a war. To make an Italian Empire & revenge Mussolini
invaded following a clash of troops at the Wal Wal Oasis. Italy had planes and gas,
Abyssinia had spears and old guns. UK didnt want to upset Italy as they may be
useful with Hitler so didnt close the Suez Canal to Italy. [D]
Hoare and Laval secretly offered Mussolini 2/3 of Abyssinia in return for peace.
When this became public it proved that France and GB put their interests first. GB
wouldnt put sanctions as it would cause miners in GB to lose work [E] Oil sanctions
would not work because America wasnt in the League. [E]
After the failure of the Hoare-Laval Pact, GB gave up on the League altogether and
Chamberlain using Appeasement not the League with Hitler. [A]
Abyssinian Crisis
Manchurian Crisis

British and French actions connected American actions connected to the

to the League. League.
Powers of the League
Structure of the League

Membership of the League Who was to blame for the Leagues

failure: USA or France and Britain?