EARLY ATTEMPTS AT PEACEKEEPING (1920-1925)

1. EARLY ATTEMPTS AT PEACEKEEPING (1920-1925)

2. Aland Islands Conflict1920 • Background: • Between Sweden and Finland • Speak Swedish language • 1809- Sweden lost Finland and the Aland Islands to imperial Russia • 1917- Russian revolution • Finland declared indepedence • Finland considered the Aland Islands part of them • Alanders wanted to once again be a part of Sweden • 1920- threat of war • League Action: • Britain referred the matter to the LON • Finland called it an internal matter to keep the case closed to the world • LON created a panel to debate whether an intervention was necessary • A comission was created to take affirmative action • 1921-Decision that the islands should stay together with Finland • Terms: guaranteed protection, demilitarization • Sweden agreed

3. vilnius conflict1924 • Background: • The border between Poland and Lithuania sparked a dispute once they both declared independence after WW1 • Polish-Soviet war- Lithuania signed a treaty marking the territorial boundaries • The large city of Vilnius was awarded to Lithuania in the treaty and became their capitol • League Action: • League negotiated a brief armistice • Polish military forces took the city of Vilnius claiming it was under their “protection” • LON ordered a plebescite and for Poland to withdrawal from the city • Poland called for reinforcements instead • LON members started prepping their militaries to fight Poland • 1921-Poland agreed to try and make peace with Lithuania • 1922- Poland annexed Vilnius and the surrounding area • Allied Conference set the new boundaries leaving Vilnius in Poland • Lithuanians refused the settlement • Fighting continued until 1927 • 1928 Poland set forth an ulitmatum, which was eventually accepted by Lithuania resetting order and peace

4. Memel conflict1924 • League Action: • LON created a commission of inquiry to investigate the conflict • The league gave the city to Lithuania • Made Memel autonomous • 1924- Klaipeda Convention was approved by LON • The Allied Powers and Lithuania also approved it • Background: • Memel-port city • Predominantly German • Under provisional Allied control due to the Treaty of Versailles • French and Germans wanted to turn the city into an international port city • Lithuanians wanted to annex the area • 1923-Lithuanian forces invade and seize the port • Allies referred the conflict to the LON

5. Greece/bulgaria conflict1925 • Background: • 1925- An incident occurred on the border of Greece and Bulgaria involving sentries • 3 days later, Greek troops invaded Bulgaria • Bulgarian troops put up some resistance • The Bulgarian troops also evacuated thousands of people near the border • They trusted the LON to settle the conflict for them • League Action: • LON condemned the Greek invasion • They ordered the Greek to withdrawal and compensate Bulgaria

6. Mosul1926 • League Action: • 1924-A League of Nations' Commission of Inquiry with Belgian, Hungarian and Swedish members was sent to the region • The comission found that if they HAD TO CHOOSE where to be a part of, they would choose Iraq • The people of Mosul agreed to become part of Iraq only if Britain had control of the mandate for 25 more years • 1923- Turkey rejected the League’s decision • The conflict was brought to an international court • 1926- A new treaty was accepted by both parties • They agreed that the mandate would last 25 more years but upon admittance to the LON, it would end • Background: • 1920- The British were awarded a mandate over Iraq by the League of Nations • 1926- The League resolved a dispute between the Kingdom of Iraq and the Republic of Turkey over the control of the former Ottoman province of Mosul • Britain argued that Mosul was part of Iraq • The new Turkish Republic argued that Mosul was a part of its “historic heartland”