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League of Nations Weaknesses

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League of Nations Weaknesses

The League of Nations aimed to keep peace after the First World War. Use the evidence table and your own historical knowledge to investigate why it struggled to stop aggression. For written answers, explain how a weakness affected the League’s ability to act.

Evidence file: crises in the 1930s

Use this summary as evidence for Questions 1–4 and 8–10. The League’s responses were not always identical, and its actions changed between crises.

Crisis

League response

Outcome or limitation

Manchuria, 1931: Japan invaded the Chinese region of Manchuria.

The League investigated and condemned Japan’s actions; the Lytton Report took about a year to appear.

Japan rejected the League’s findings and left the League in 1933. No military force was sent to remove Japanese troops.

Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1935: Italy invaded the independent African state.

The League condemned Italy and imposed some economic sanctions.

Sanctions did not include oil, and the Suez Canal remained open to Italian ships. Italy conquered Abyssinia in 1936.

Rhineland, 1936: Germany sent troops into the demilitarised Rhineland.

Britain and France did not take military action; the League did not stop the move.

Hitler’s gamble succeeded, strengthening his position and encouraging further defiance of the post-war settlement.

Part A: Identify the weaknesses

Answer each question using the evidence where relevant.

1.The League was established in 1920. Which major power never became a member, weakening the League’s influence?

The United States
Britain
France
Japan

2.Which statement best explains why the League’s lack of its own army was a weakness?

It could not directly force an aggressor to withdraw.
It was not allowed to investigate disputes.
It had to give every country a permanent army.
It could not issue condemnations.

3.Give one reason why a decision-making system that often required unanimity could make League action difficult.

4.In the Manchurian Crisis, what happened after the League condemned Japan?

Japan accepted the findings and withdrew immediately.
Japan rejected the findings and left the League in 1933.
The League sent its own army to Manchuria.
The United States joined the League and imposed a blockade.

5.Match each weakness to the most direct consequence.

A. No League army
B. The United States was not a member
C. Unanimity often required
D. Sanctions depended on member cooperation

2. An aggressor could ignore League decisions without facing direct military force.
1. A major power’s resources and influence were absent.
3. One member could obstruct agreement or delay action.
4. Measures could be incomplete if states did not apply them fully.

Part B: Explain the evidence

Build explanations by linking a weakness to a specific consequence.

6.The Lytton Report took about a year to appear. Explain how delay could benefit an aggressor during an international crisis.

7.During the Abyssinian Crisis, why did sanctions fail to stop Italy? Give two details from the evidence table.

8.Compare the League’s response to Japan in Manchuria with its response to Italy in Abyssinia. Identify one similarity and one difference.

9.In 1936, Britain and France did not take military action when German troops entered the Rhineland. Explain how the League’s dependence on member states contributed to its weakness.

10.Historical judgement: ‘The League of Nations was powerless to stop aggression in the 1930s.’ How far do the three crises in the evidence file support this claim? Use at least two crises and explain your judgement.