The League of Nations Attempts at Peacekeeping in the 1920s (AQA GCSE History): Revision Note

How much success did the League of Nations have in peacekeeping in the 1920s?- Timeline & Summary

The League of Nations had mixed success in peacekeeping during the 1920s. One successful example was the Aaland Islands dispute between Sweden and Finland in 1921. Both countries claimed the islands and there was a risk of conflict. The League investigated and decided that the islands should remain part of Finland but with special rights for the Swedish-speaking residents. Both countries accepted the decision and the League maintained peace.

The League also faced challenges and failures. One notable example was the Corfu incident in 1923. After an Italian general was killed in Greece, Italy demanded compensation and occupied the Greek island of Corfu. Greece appealed to the League but Italy refused to cooperate. The League struggled to enforce its decisions and had to rely on the intervention of other major powers to resolve the situation. Italy eventually withdrew from Corfu but the incident highlighted the League's limitations in handling more aggressive nations.

Vilna, 1920

Significance of the Vilna Dispute

• It undermined the League’s power

  • It was the first time that an invaded country requested the help of the League

  • The League did not fulfil its pledge for collective security

• It showed the reluctance of the permanent members to raise an army

  • France did not want to upset Poland

    • They saw Poland as a potential ally

  • Britain did not want to act without the support of other members

    • Britain did not have the money or arms to stop this dispute

Aaland Islands, 1920–1921

Significance of Aaland Islands Dispute

• One of the biggest successes of the League of Nations

• If both members respected the League of Nations, they would:

  • Ask the League for help in their dispute

  • Accept the League’s decision

Upper Silesia, 1921

Significance of the Upper Silesia Dispute

• Initially, the Upper Silesia dispute was a success for the League

  • Both countries accepted its ruling

• When the League’s solution ended in 1925, relations between Poland and Gemany worsened

  • Poland argued that half of the population of Upper Silesia was Polish yet they received only a third of the land

  • Germany stated that the agreement took away a quarter of its coal mines

Corfu, 1923

Significance of the Corfu Dispute

• Without the USA, the League could not stand up to powerful countries like Italy

  • Britain and France preferred not to get involved in the conflict

  • Mussolini had successfully bullied the League into giving him what he wanted

  • It set the standard by which other aggressive leaders could manipulate the League

• It demonstrated that organisations like the Conference of Ambassadors could overturn the League’s decisions

Bulgaria, 1925

Significance of Bulgaria Dispute

• It showed the inconsistencies of the League’s rulings

  • Both the Corfu and Bulgaria disputes:

    • Involved the death of a military officer

    • Resulted in an armed invasion of a country

  • The League did not punish Italy for invading Corfu, yet punished Greece for invading Bulgaria

• The League was desperate not to antagonise certain countries that could start a war

  • As a result, the League did not rule fairly in all disputes

    • This undermined their reputation as a peacekeeping force