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The League of Nations was established following the treaty of Versailles to address global issues. However, with only 44 nations involved and the absence of the USA, the League appeared weakened from the start. Despite this setback, the League attempted to make a positive impact by forming special commissions to address international problems. Its main goals included achieving World Disarmament, enhancing living and working conditions, enforcing the treaty of Versailles, and preventing future wars. The creation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) aimed to improve global living and working standards, while the health committee focused on combating diseases such as Malaria and Polio.
The goal of the slavery commission was to put an end to slavery, trafficking, and prostitution networks while the Commission for Refugees aimed to return all prisoners of World War 1 to their respective countries.
In terms of the League's commitment to preventing war, success was measured by the avoidance of war and achieving a peaceful resolution to disputes between nations.
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One such dispute involved Sweden and Finland over the Aarland islands, which are located approximately equidistant between the two countries.
Traditionally, the islands belonged to Finland, but most islanders wished to be Swedish. Sweden and Finland couldn't agree on ownership, so they turned to the League for a decision in 1921. The League ruled the islands should stay with Finland, but no weapons should be kept there. Both countries accepted the ruling, which remains in effect today. Despite this success, the League failed to resolve a conflict between Poland and Lithuania over Vilna.
Vilna, once the capital of Lithuania in the Middle Ages, was taken over by Russia before being re-established as Lithuania's capital after World War One.
By 1920, the population of Vilna consisted of 30% Poles and only 2% Lithuanians. The Poles invaded Vilna in the same year, despite Lithuania's request for League intervention. The League did not want to upset the Poles and Vilna remained under Polish control until the beginning of World War Two. The use of force by the Poles resulted in them gaining additional land, a violation of Article 11 of the League's Covenant.
"Any war or threat of war is a matter of concern to the whole League and the League shall take action that may safeguard peace." Therefore, any conflict between nations that results in war and one nation emerging as victorious must be viewed as a failure of the League. Despite its political failures, the League did achieve success at a social level, which is often overlooked. Many organizations within the United Nations today originated from the foundations set by the League. For example, the ILO exerted pressure on major industrial companies to enhance working conditions and wages for their employees, threatening sanctions for non-compliance.
The commission for refugees successfully repatriated a total of 400,000 refugees and were the first commission/organisation to introduce the concept of a passport for all these individuals, with the assistance of Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen. Additionally, the Health Organisation initiated the first-ever campaign to eradicate leprosy. Although the League was unable to prevent a violent conflict in Turkey, it did address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the war. Approximately 1,400,000 refugees were displaced by the conflict, predominantly women and children, with widespread outbreaks of typhoid and cholera. The League dispatched doctors from the Health Organisation to contain the spread of disease, allocating £10 million towards constructing farms, shelters, and other necessary facilities for the refugees. Funds were also allocated for seeds, wells, and excavation tools, ultimately providing job opportunities for 600,000 individuals by 1926. A League member described this effort as "the greatest work of mercy which mankind has undertaken."
Through its smallpox campaign, the United Nations embraced the idea of eradicating diseases from the world, while also addressing issues such as improving the status of women in the Third World, combating child slave labor, drug addiction, and drug smuggling by shutting down four drug companies in Switzerland. These persistent problems in the 21st century emphasize the challenges faced by the League of Nations in tackling them with limited resources. The League's greatest accomplishment was raising global awareness about these social issues and initiating efforts to address them, paving the way for continued action by the United Nations. Overall, it is fair to consider this statement accurate.
The League of Nations took action following World War I by establishing special commissions to address various global issues such as the ILO, the health committee, the slavery Commission, and the Commission for refugees. These initiatives proved effective in tackling major challenges of the time, potentially preventing widespread devastation and violence in the 1920s. While some critics argue that the league was disproportionately influenced by the big three nations, it is believed that smaller countries like Switzerland or The Netherlands would not have achieved the same level of success.
Despite the big 3 being larger countries in terms of size and population, there would have been more resistance if they had not been affected by World War I. America's decision not to join the League was a major setback as its involvement could have made a significant impact on global issues, such as the situation between Poland and Lithuania over Vilna.
The League of Nations: Addressing Global Issues Through Special Commissions. (2016, Apr 11). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-league-of-nations-had-its-greatest-successes-in-the-work-of-the-special-commission-essay
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