This key facts covers Key Failures — 1920s within League Failures for GCSE History. Revise League Failures in Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 9 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 1 of 9
Practice
8 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
📊 Key Failures — 1920s
| Crisis | Date | What Happened | Why It Failed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vilna | 1920 | Poland seized Vilna (capital of Lithuania). League told Poland to withdraw. | Poland refused. League couldn't force them — no army. France supported Poland against Russia. |
| Corfu | 1923 | Italian officials killed on Greek border. Mussolini invaded Corfu. League condemned Italy. | Mussolini refused to accept ruling. Conference of Ambassadors overruled League — Greece had to apologise AND pay Italy! Major power gets its way. |
| Disarmament | 1920s-30s | Disarmament Conference 1932-33 tried to get countries to reduce weapons. | Complete failure. Germany wanted equality. France refused to disarm. Hitler walked out (1933). |
🔥 Corfu Crisis — A Blueprint for Disaster
This showed dictators exactly how to defy the League:
Lesson learned by dictators: Major powers control the League. If you're powerful enough, you can ignore it.