Structure of the League: Assembly & Council
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 2.1.2
The Assembly
The structure of the League of Nations included: the Assembly, the Council, the Special Commissions, the Permanent Court of International Justice, and the Secretariat.
The Assembly
- The Assembly met once a year and was made up of representatives from member countries.
- In order to pass any laws/decisions all the votes had to be unanimous (they all had to agree).
Evaluating the Assembly
- The structure of the assembly made it hard to make any quick decision or do anything quickly.
- It also meant that it was difficult to pass any laws/decisions because often countries disagreed so votes couldn’t be unanimous.
- If only 1 country disagreed, action could not be taken. Then the Assembly would have to wait 1 year to meet again.
The Council
The structure of the League of Nations included: the Assembly, the Council, the Special Commissions, the Permanent Court of International Justice, and the Secretariat.
The Council
- The Council only met at least four times a year.
- Because of this, it was decided that a smaller group of representatives should be established to try and get decisions made quicker.
Members of the Council
- The Council was made up of representatives of the most powerful countries in the league:
- Great Britain.
- France.
- Italy.
- Japan.
Growth
- As time went on, a total of 9 countries were allowed to join the Council.
Evaluating the Council
- The Council allowed for quick decisions to be made.
- However, the decisions that were made were largely influenced by the personal motives of the members
- This was affected by the issues that each representative was facing in their own country.
Power
- The Council gained more power than the Assembly.
- This is because the Council had the power to pass any laws/decisions and veto any law/decision.
- Even if the Assembly had made an unanimous (everyone had to agree) decision on it.
Summary
- Weaknesses of the Council:
- Met only a few times a year, slowing decisions.
- Dominated by powerful countries (Britain, France, Italy, Japan) with their own interests.
- Had more power than the Assembly and could veto decisions, limiting fairness. -Weaknesses of the Assembly:
- Met only once a year, so action was very slow.
- Needed unanimous votes, making agreement difficult.
- One country’s objection could block decisions.
Test yourself on Structure of the League: Assembly & Council
How often did the Assembly of the League of Nations meet?
What percentage of the League of Nations had to agree in order for a law/decision to pass?
Which country was NOT one of the original four members of the Council in the League of Nations?