1. Mnemonic Learning VIII
The League of Nations
What were the main failures of the LON?

2. WAS DUMB
 W – Weak
 A - Abyssinia
 S - Structure
 D - Depression
 U - Unsuccessful
 M - Manchuria
 B - Bullies

3. W – Weak
 Without America, Russia and Germany the League of
Nations was weak.
 The League’s ‘powers’ (HERMEM remember) were little
more than going ‘tut-tut’. Sanctions did not work.
 It had no army to back it up.
A - Abyssinia
 Mussolini got ready to invade Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935. Britain and
France didn’t shut the SUEZ CANAL.
 The League talked to Mussolini but he ignored them and sent in his
army. He also ignored sanctions (which countries didn’t follow through
properly anyway).
 Britain and France secretly arranged the Hoare and Laval Pact to give
Mussolini Abyssinia. This undermined the League’s authority.

4. S - Structure
 The League was muddled, so it took ages to do anything.
 Members couldn’t agree – but decisions had to be
unanimous.
 The four permanent members had the power of VETO (the
ability to cancel any law they didn’t like). This paralysed the
League.
D - Depression
 The world-wide Depression made countries try to get more
land and power.
 They were worried about themselves, not about world
peace. In some cases they did not enforce sanctions so
they could still trade.

5. U - Unsuccessful
 The more the League failed, the less people trusted it.
 In the end, everybody just ignored it.
 Its failures gave Hitler the confidence to challenge the
TOV.
M - Manchuria
 In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria after the bombing of the S.
Manchurian Railway at Mukden.
 The League sent Lord Lytton to study the problem (this took a year).
 Japan refused to leave Manchuria. Instead, Japan left the League.
Many countries had important trading links with Japan. Britain and
France did not want a war, so nothing was done.

6. B - Bullies
 In the 1920s, the League had dealt with weak
countries (e.g. Finland & Sweden – Aaland Islands).
 In the 1930s, powerful countries like Germany, Italy
and Japan attacked weaker countries.
 They were too strong for the League to stop them.
REMEMBER –
WAS DUMB
Why the League of Nations failed!