Conflict and Tension 1918-1939Memory Aid

Memory Aids: Lock In the Key Facts

Part of League SuccessesGCSE History

This memory aid covers Memory Aids: Lock In the Key Facts within League Successes for GCSE History. Revise League Successes in Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 5 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 11 of 14 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.

Topic position

Section 11 of 14

Practice

8 questions

Recall

5 flashcards

🧠 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

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in League Successes. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for League Successes

In 1921, who did the League of Nations decide should control the Aaland Islands?

  • A. Sweden
  • B. Finland
  • C. Norway
  • D. Denmark
1 markfoundation

How did the League of Nations resolve the Upper Silesia dispute between Germany and Poland in 1921?

  • A. It awarded all of Upper Silesia to Poland
  • B. It awarded all of Upper Silesia to Germany
  • C. It held a plebiscite and divided the region between both countries
  • D. It imposed military occupation until both sides agreed
1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

Upper Silesia?
1921 — Germany vs Poland. Plebiscite then division. Both accepted.
Bulgaria 1925?
Greece invaded, League made them withdraw and pay compensation.

Want to test your knowledge?

PrepWise has 8 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards for League Successes — with adaptive difficulty and instant feedback.

Join Alpha