History

Sources of the
League of Nations
Question: what can you tell from the source about the League
of Nations?
Ana Victoria Pestana League of Nations Source analysis

A cartoon suggesting why the League of Nations failed in Abyssinia

The message of the source is that Mussolini is complaining to the league about what happened in
Abyssinia. The cartoon shows the league as an illustrated woman wearing a dress that says
western civilization and holding a letter that says rights and wrongs of Abyssinia. The fat man
is the illustration of Mussolini that is complaining about that the league does everything wrong
while France and Britain are watching a map of the Western Front. The leagues answer to what
Mussolini said is: But arent you the league? because Italy was part of the league and a very
strong member. In context, when Italy invaded Abyssinia, Britain and France, as they wanted Italy
to stay as a strong ally against Hitler, did nothing to very little to avoid Italy from the invasion. That
is why both countries represented by the men with the map are not paying attention or giving the
back to what the league and Mussolini are discussing. From another view, the league is shown
weak and its holding the paper with the rights and wrongs of Abyssinia to try and justify why it
responded by giving Italy some land in Abyssinia. Mussolini is saying that the league has no
authority to tell Italy the rights and wrongs because it already had some failures that weakened
the league. As an overall, the cartoon is showing the reaction of Britain and France according to
Mussolini and also its weakening the league by showing the one who its being punished stronger
than the one who should have to be authoritarian.

1
Ana Victoria Pestana League of Nations Source analysis

An old cartoon about the League of Nations.

This source is as positive cartoon because the League of Nations is represented by something that
contains the dog that represents war or international conflicts. The dog has a symbol telling that it
is the dog of war. This can be taken into account because it is very strong and has an angry and
furious expression. This means that the league is strong enough to support and reach peace and
control on wars or international strikes. This cartoon shows the league of nations in its moments
of glory, after the crisis in Manchuria and in Abyssinia and the disarmament conference which
then made the league weak and had to disappear.

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Ana Victoria Pestana League of Nations Source analysis

"Moral Suasion" (Punch Magazine)

This source shows that the league is weak because it is represented as a rabbit to show the
weakness. Also it has a ribbon that tells that it has been gifted to the snake that represents the
international strike. This source means that the conflicts (international strikes) overpass the league
or that the league cannot afford to solve any problem. This could be justified by the problems the
League of Nations had by trying to solve the crisis in Manchuria and the Abyssinian invasion and
also the disarmament conference; as the league could not solve any of this problems it is showed
as weak in many cases.

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Ana Victoria Pestana League of Nations Source analysis

The doormat.

The message of the source is the weakness of the League of Nations in the face of Japan. The
source shows a man that has Japan written on its back entering to a place that has the name
Geneva in which a man is honoured to be receiving him. Japan is standing over a woman with a
dress which has League written and that is next to a paper that says Honour of Nations. The
woman is being makeup by a man that is next to a box that says Face-saving outfit. This source is
telling by the Japanese soldier trampling over the woman and the paper that Japan is trampling on
the league and the covenant. That the men in the door bows down means that the League is
letting the Japanese get away with their aggression and that the men is powdering the Leagues
face with the kit means that Britain, represented by the thin man, is not doing anything
meaningful, just trying to save the face. On overall, the League has been humiliated by allowing
Japan to invade Manchuria.