IB History The League of Nations and the Lytton Report Notes

The League of Nations and the Lytton Report

The League of Nations and Collective Security

1. The League of Nations was established in 1920 as part of the Treaty of Versailles. Its primary goals were to promote international cooperation, maintain peace, and settle disputes through diplomacy.
2. The League's core mechanism was collective security: the idea that aggression against one member would trigger a unified response from all. In theory, this included economic sanctions and, as a last resort, military action.
3. However, the League had critical weaknesses from the start. The United States never joined (despite President Wilson's role in creating it), and the League had no standing army. It depended entirely on member states volunteering troops and resources.
4. Decision-making required unanimous agreement in the Council, meaning any single member could block action.

The Mukden Incident and China's Appeal

1. On 18 September 1931, a section of the South Manchurian Railway near Mukden (modern-day Shenyang) was damaged in a small explosion. The Japanese Kwantung Army blamed Chinese forces and used the incident as a pretext to invade Manchuria.
2. Within months, Japan had occupied all of Manchuria and established the puppet state of Manchukuo (February 1932), installing China's last emperor, Pu Yi, as its nominal ruler.
3. China immediately appealed to the League under Article 11 of the Covenant (September 1931), which stated that any war or threat of war was a matter of concern for the entire League.

The League's Slow Response

1. The League's initial response was weak and slow. It passed a resolution calling on Japan to withdraw its troops, but Japan simply ignored this.
2. Rather than imposing sanctions or taking decisive action, the League chose to send a fact-finding commission. This cautious approach reflected the unwillingness of major powers (especially Britain and France) to confront Japan directly.