Failures of the League: Corfu and Vilna
The Corfu Incident of 1923 exposed a major weakness in the League's power. When Italian general Mussolini invaded the Greek island after his survey team was murdered, the League condemned his actions but failed to stop him. Instead, Greece was forced to apologise and pay compensation, showing how the League could be undermined by powerful nations.
Similarly, in the Vilna dispute (1920-21), Poland invaded Lithuania's capital city that had many Polish residents. Lithuania appealed to the League for help, but the organisation did nothing. This inaction stemmed from Poland being a valuable ally against Germany, revealing how political alliances could override the League's principles.
The Bulgarian incident of 1925 had mixed results. The League successfully forced Greece to withdraw and pay compensation after invading Bulgaria following border killings. However, this enforcement appeared hypocritical since Mussolini had faced no consequences for similar aggression in Corfu.
Critical thinking point: Notice how the League's effectiveness often depended on which countries were involved. Why do you think the League treated similar situations differently?