Before we can reach our goal of seeing whether or not the League was a success or failure, we have to look at what those successes and failures are. Failures will go first.
The Manchuria and Abyssinia Crisis:
In the beginning of the League of Nations, there was a pride that most countries had when they joined the League. There was a positive response because this was the first step towards collective security.
However, this trust did not last forever. The League’s inactivity, and inability to solve major problems. The lack of trust that the league had from the countries’ that they represented in addition to the weak infrastructure that it was founded on was a large contributor to the downfall. The distrust, however, did not really set in until after the Abyssinia Crisis where Italy invaded the north eastern coast of Africa to take over Abyssinia, and the Manchurian Crisis where Japan invaded China, specifically the Manchuria. These Crisis should have been put down immediately, but because the League’s inability to handle the situation, and because of the lack of commitment that the members had to true collective security, these issues caused pretty big problems.
Manchuria:
The Manchuria Crisis, started when Japan’s economy began to decline from the lack of resources, at the hand of The Great Depression. Upon hearing about this, members of the league sent Lytton Commission(Sept. of 1931) to gather information and moderate in order to solve the Crisis. This would have solved the Crisis quickly, but due to in inactivity of this Commission and the League’s apathy, it wasn’t till a year later (Oct. of 1932) that the Commission actually reported back. The only problem was that the report had not much more information than: Japan invaded China, and they should leave. This “revelation” lead to a meeting to vote on whether or not Japan should leave, and the League voted in favor. As a result, Japan stood up and left the meeting.
In the end, the League did not do much to aid the situation. Japan just stayed in Manchuria until 1937. They places embargoes on Japan to weaken the forces, but the countries that were supposed to participate could not because their economies were crippled by the Great Depression as well. Overall, this was one of the League’s biggest failures.
Abyssinia:
The Abyssinia Crisis was started when Mussolini, the Italian dictator, began to cause a stir in the “Scramble for Africa.” Mussolini accused the Abyssinians of aggression at an oasis called Wal Wal, and but he had already planned to invade to take over Abyssinia before the accusation even arose. Because of the more advanced weaponry, Abyssinia was easily taken over by mode of machinery and mustard gas. The neighboring regions called to the League for assistance, but like Manchira, the league did not do much.
Quote of the Post:
"I have loved but one flag and I can not share that devotion and give affection to the mongrel banner invented for the league of nations." -- Henry Cabot Lodge |
Cartoon of the Post:
United States HISTORY. (n.d.). The manchurian crisis. Retrieved from
gcsehistory.org.uk. (n.d.). The manchurian crisis 1931-1933. Retrieved from
History Learning Site. (n.d.). Abyssinia 1935 to 1936. Retrieved from
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/aby1.htm
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