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The Day the League Actually Worked
📖 The Day the League Actually Worked
It is 1921. Sweden and Finland are on the brink of war. Both nations are claiming the Aaland Islands — a small archipelago in the Baltic Sea. Sweden settled the islands; Finland inherited them when it declared independence. Both sides are mobilising. It looks like the peace treaties have simply created new conflicts to replace the old ones. Then something remarkable happens: both countries agree to let a brand new international organisation called the League of Nations decide. The League rules in Finland's favour. Sweden accepts. No war. No bloodshed. It works. For a brief, shining moment in the 1920s, Woodrow Wilson's dream is real — disputes can be settled by law, not force. The tragedy of history is what happened next.
Territorial Disputes — Successes
The League did valuable work beyond settling disputes — these are tested in "describe two features" questions:
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🧠 Memory Aids: Lock In the Key Facts
The four 1920s territorial successes — "AUBM":
- A — Aaland Islands (1921): Sweden vs Finland — Finland kept islands; both accepted
- U — Upper Silesia (1921): Germany vs Poland — League plebiscite, region divided
- B — Bulgaria (1925): Greece invaded — League ordered withdrawal and compensation; Greece obeyed
- M — Mosul (1926): Turkey vs Iraq — League ruled for Iraq; Turkey accepted
Why they succeeded — "SNG": Small countries, No vital interests, Goodwill in the 1920s
- S — Small countries: no major power was directly involved, so decisions could be enforced
- N — No vital interests: Britain and France supported League decisions because nothing crucial was at stake for them
- G — Goodwill: the "spirit of Locarno" meant countries genuinely wanted international cooperation to work
Humanitarian agencies to remember:
- ILO (International Labour Organisation) — workers' rights, ban on lead in paint, maximum hours
- Health Organisation — fought malaria, leprosy, typhus; model for the WHO
- Nansen passport (1922) — travel document for stateless refugees; 450,000 issued
- Slavery Commission — freed 200,000 enslaved people in Sierra Leone
Key dates chain for 1920s success period:
- 1920 — League formally established; first meeting in Geneva
- 1921 — Aaland Islands AND Upper Silesia resolved (the League's best year)
- 1922 — Nansen passport created
- 1923 — Corfu Incident: League fails when Italy is involved (major power effect)
- 1925 — Locarno Pact; Bulgaria crisis resolved successfully
- 1926 — Germany joins the League; Mosul resolved
- 1929 — Wall Street Crash begins Great Depression — end of international goodwill
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 8
In 1921, who did the League of Nations decide should control the Aaland Islands?
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This topic in real past papers
Every real exam question we've found on league successes, with a full worked answer.