Organization
The Resume
(June 28, 1919-April 18, 1946)
Born in Versailles, France
Created by the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland
42 founding members
21 nations joined later
By the start of World War II, 15 member nations had withdrawn and three had ceased to exist
Why League of Nations might be annoying
Foretelling future problems, its members never agreed on a League flag or logo.
It attempted to adopt Esperanto as its working language.
It was ineffectual in the face of aggression by the future Axis powers, such as Japan's seizure of Manchuria (1931), Italy's invasion of Ethiopia (1935) and Germany's annexation of Austria and the Czech Sudetenland (1938).
Since the United States never joined, it was unable to make economic sanctions effective.
It rarely took military action, with British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin noting, 'There was no country except the aggressor country that was ready for war.'
Why League of Nations might not be annoying
It settled territorial disputes between Albania and Yugoslavia, Greece and Bulgaria, and Sweden and Finland.
Its Health Committee prevented a typhus epidemic from spreading from the USSR to Europe.
Its Commission for Refugees resettled hundreds of thousands of people stranded by shifting borders after WWI.
Its more successful bodies, such as the International Labor Organization, were transferred to the United Nations.
Credit: C. Fishel
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Year In Review:
For 2010, as of last week, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
For 2009, Out of 32 Votes: 53.12% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 26 Votes: 69.23% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 83 Votes: 75.90% Annoying
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