Key Question 2 · 1919–1939

To what extent was the League of Nations a success?

Examine the League's structure, its successes in the 1920s, the crises of the 1930s and the structural weaknesses that ultimately caused its collapse.

🕊️ Structure of the League ✅ Successes in the 1920s 💥 Crises of the 1930s

Examiner Warnings — KQ2

Cambridge 0470 ER 2021–2025
  • Do not conflate the League's commissions — the ILO (improving labour standards worldwide), Health Committee (combating disease and drug trafficking), Refugees Committee (resettling displaced persons after WWI), and Slavery Commission (working to abolish the slave trade) are four entirely separate bodies with distinct functions and achievements. Name the specific body and its specific outcome to score Level 3+. A vague reference to 'a League committee' cannot rise above Level 2.

  • Balance across both decades — don't only write about the 1930s — the majority of answers focus exclusively on failures. A Level 5 answer must address genuine 1920s successes (Aaland Islands 1921, Upper Silesia 1921, Greek–Bulgarian border 1925, humanitarian work) AND 1930s failures (Manchuria 1931–33, Abyssinia 1935–36), then explain WHY the 1930s were harder: the Depression, the permanent absence of the USA, and Britain and France prioritising national interest over collective security.

  • Analyse each case — don't list it — for every success or failure, explain WHY it matters. Don't just state 'the Manchurian Crisis was a failure' — explain that Japan faced no military response because Britain and France were unwilling to risk war in the Far East, demonstrating that collective security only functioned when the cost to members was low. That analysis is what separates Level 3 from Level 4–5.

What you need to know

Structure of the League

  • ✦ Assembly, Council and Secretariat
  • ✦ Why the USA never joined
  • ✦ The Permanent Court of Justice
  • ✦ Humanitarian agencies and commissions

Successes in the 1920s

  • ✦ Aaland Islands (1921)
  • ✦ Upper Silesia (1921)
  • ✦ Greek–Bulgarian border (1925)
  • ✦ Humanitarian and social work

Crises of the 1930s

  • ✦ Manchuria crisis 1931–33
  • ✦ Abyssinia crisis 1935–36
  • ✦ Failure of sanctions
  • ✦ The Hoare–Laval Pact

Why the League Failed

  • ✦ No army of its own
  • ✦ Unanimous vote requirement
  • ✦ Great Power self-interest
  • ✦ The Great Depression's impact
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