LEAGUE OF NATIONS: LEAGUE'S OTHER WORK. In addition to territorial disputes, the League also tried to intervene in other conflicts between and within nations. Among its successes were its fight against the international trade in opium and sexual slavery, and its work to alleviate the plight of refugees, particularly in Turkey in the period up to 1926.

1. CONTENT
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
SOCIAL WORK OF THE
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
4

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
INTRODUCTION
It can be argued that the most important work of the LON
was SOCIAL and ECONOMIC, rather than political.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
REFUGEES At the end of the war there were 3 million
refugees who had fled from their homelands.
The refugees returned from Russia and Greece.
They had no homes, food or jobs.
The LON gave them passports, which helped
them settle in new countries.
The LON returned about 400,000 prisoners of
war to their homes.
The Nansen International Office for Refugees
started in 1930 and it was in charge of war
refugees between 1930-1939.
It is noted for developing the Nansen passport
which allowed stateless people to travel
between countries.
Fridtjof Nansen as the League
of Nations' high commissioner
for prisoners of war and
refugees.

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
PRISONERS OF WAR
The Refugee Organisation faced the problem of former WW1
prisoners of war stranded in Soviet Russia, Poland, France,
Germany and Turkey.
There was an estimated 250,000 Russians in Germany or French
camps and 300,000 Germans and former Austro-Hungarians in
Soviet Russia.
More than a million Greeks were made homeless during the
Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923).

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
HEALTH The Health Organisation of the
League was effective.
It organised educational campaigns,
distributed medicines, trained health
officers and set up clinics for children.
It started a worldwide campaign to
exterminate mosquitoes which helped
reduce cases of malaria and yellow
fever.
In the 1930’s it took over and ran the
public health system in China.
Helped Soviet Russia to prevent a
typhus epidemic in Siberia.
Malaria Commission of the League of Nations

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
HEALTH cont.
Setting up research units in Copenhagen, London, Singapore to
develop vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis.
After the demise of the LON, the Health Organisation became the
World Health Organisation, under the United Nations.

7. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
SLAVERY/DRUGSThe LON persuaded member
countries to recognise that slavery
and the slave trade were wrong.
It did not end slavery but had some
successes.
200,000 slaves were freed in Sierra
Leone.
It challenged the use of forced labour
on the Tanganyika railway in Africa,
by reducing the rate from 50% to 4%.
Blacklisted large international
companies involved in illegal drug
selling.

8. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
The LON had some successes in
reducing the trade of women for
sexual purposes and in protecting
children from abuse.
Limited the working hours for young
children.
Banned poisonous white lead from
paint.

9. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR
ORGANISATION
This was the most
successful of the LON’s
agencies.
It got member countries to
agree to:
- A reduction in working
hours
- The right of the workers to
join a trade union
- A minimum working age of
15
Not all the members
enforced these measures.
One of the first archive photos of ILO

10. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL HELP
A number of countries faced economic crisis.
Austria was in danger of financial collapse as it tried to adjust to
a new status as a small landlocked country, dependent upon
agriculture.
In 1922, LON devised a plan to address Austria’s economic
problems.
Action was taken to stabilise the currency by controlling the level
of interest rates, the circulation of banknotes, and the issuing of
credit.
Austria was also given a substantial loan.
As a result: trade revived, unemployment fell, budget balanced.
SUCCESS OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS!

11. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
DISARMAMENT One of the aims of LON
was to reduce armaments.
In the years after the war,
countries like USA and
Britain increased spending
on their navies.
At the Washington
Conference of 1921-1922
the main powers, including
the USA, agreed to reduce
the size of their navies.
There were other attempts
at disarmament in the
1920’s, but they all failed.

12. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
OTHER INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENTS
Despite the failure of the LON to reduce armaments, some
progress was made in creating a more peaceful world.
This was achieved through a series of international
agreements.
The most important were Locarno Treaties and the Kellogg-
Briand Pact.

13. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
THE LOCARNO TREATIES 1925
These agreement brought Germany back into the international
community and paved the way for Germany’s admittance into the
League in 1926.
They seemed to represent a new era of cooperation.
Germany accepted the borders with France and Belgium as in
TOV.
Britain and Italy guaranteed to protect these borders if Germany
threatened them.
Germany accepted that the Rhineland should remain
demilitarised.
France agreed to withdraw troops from the Ruhr.
France and Germany agreed to take all disputes to the League.

14. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
THE KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT 1928
This was signed by 15 countries, including the USA.
They all agreed that they would not use war to settle disputes
with other countries.
Like Locarno, this agreement promised a peaceful world.

15. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
THE MAIN AGREEMENTS 1921-1929
Washington Conference 1921 – USA, Britain and France to reduce the size of
their navies.
Rapallo Treaty 1922 – Russia and Germany resumed diplomatic relations.
Geneva Protocol 1924 – Tried to make countries use the League to sort out
disputes.
Dawes Plan 1924 – USA plan to lend money to Germany and extend
payments.
Locarno Treaties 1925 – Germany agreed to western borders set at Versailles.
Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 – 65 nations agreed not to use force to settle
arguments.
Young Plan 1929 – Reduced reparations by 75% gave Germany 59 years to
pay.

16. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – LEAGUE OF NATIONS – MR. D
A REAL CHANCE OF PEACE
The Washington Conference showed that some countries were
determined to begin the process of weapons reduction.
The Geneva Protocol seemed to be strengthening the League.