Pre-AICE World History Ms.

Speight-Johnson

Manchurian Crisis Activity

Objective is to answer this question: Why was the League of Nations unable to stop Japan from taking over Manchuria in the 1930s? REASONS WHY THE LEAGUE FAILED
1. Weak the Leagues powers could do little more than morally condemn aggressive nations and set unenforceable sanctions because it had no army. 2. America the strongest nation in the world was not a member. Britain and France were not strong enough to impose peace on their own. 3. Structure the Leagues structure was inefficient so it took too long to do anything. Decisions had to be unanimous but members couldnt agree. 4. Depression the worldwide Depression made countries try to get more land and power. They were worried about themselves, not about world peace. 5. Unsuccessful the more the League failed, the less people trusted the organization. In the end, everybody just ignored it. 6. Members the Leagues main members let it down. Italy and Japan defied and then left the League. France and Britain betrayed the League. 7. Big bullies in the 1920s, the League had been quite successful with small, weak countries. In the 1930s, powerful countries like Germany, Italy and Japan defied the League. They were too strong for the League to stop them.

1. How many of these factors can you see at work in the Leagues failure in the Manchurian crisis? Where?

2. Taking these ideas into account, WHY did the League fail in Manchuria?

Pre-AICE World History Ms. Speight-Johnson