Edexcel IGCSE History: The League and the UN, 1919–c2011 — Revision Notes

Quick-recall notes for Breadth Study B5 of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History 4HI1 Paper 2, “The changing role of international organisations: the League and the UN, 1919–c2011”. Full explanations are in the B5 study guide; practise with the B5 practice questions.

Syllabus coverage (4HI1, Breadth Study B5)

Key topic	Core content
1. League created, 1919–29	Wilson, Covenant, structure, Aaland, Upper Silesia, Greek–Bulgarian War, Refugee and Drugs Committees
2. League challenged, 1930–39	Great powers, veto, dictators, Manchuria, Abyssinia, Child Welfare, slavery commissions
3. UN set up, to 1964	Charter, organs, peacekeeping, human rights, agencies, Palestine, Korea, Congo
4. UN challenged, 1967–89	Resolutions 242 and 338, Lebanon, Namibia, the P5, agencies
5. UN at bay, 1990–2011	Somalia, Bosnia, Balkans, Mozambique, Sudan, Gulf Wars, obstacles

League and UN compared

	League of Nations	United Nations
Founded	1920 (Covenant 1919)	1945 (Charter, San Francisco)
Great powers	USA never joined; Britain and France led	USA and USSR both permanent members
Decisions	Council unanimity	Security Council majority, but P5 veto
Force	No army; relied on sanctions	Peacekeeping forces from members
Rights	No general human rights statement	Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Agencies	ILO, Refugees, Health, Drugs, Slavery, Mandates	ILO, WHO, FAO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR, Trusteeship

Timeline

Date	Event
1918	Wilson’s Fourteen Points
1920	League begins; USA stays out
1920–21	Aaland Islands
1921	Upper Silesia
1925	Greek–Bulgarian War
1926	Germany joins
1931–33	Manchuria; Lytton Report; Japan leaves
1935–36	Abyssinia; Hoare–Laval Pact
1945	UN Charter
1947–49	Palestine: partition plan, war, armistices
1948	Universal Declaration of Human Rights; WHO
1950–53	Korean War
1960–64	Congo
1967	Resolution 242
1973	Resolution 338
1975–85	Lebanon crisis
1989–90	Namibia’s transition
1991	First Gulf War
1992–95	Somalia; Bosnia (Srebrenica, 1995)
1992–94	Mozambique
1999	Kosovo
2003	Iraq war without explicit UN authorisation
2005–11	Sudan: peace agreement to South Sudan’s independence

Successes and failures

Success	Failure
Aaland Islands, Upper Silesia, Greece–Bulgaria (1920s)	Manchuria, Abyssinia (1930s)
Refugees, drugs, slavery, child welfare	Disarmament
Korea (South Korea defended)	Congo (costly, controversial)
Namibia (1989–90)	Lebanon; Middle East resolutions unimplemented
Mozambique (1992–94)	Somalia; Srebrenica
WHO and smallpox eradication	Veto paralysis in the Cold War

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Collective security	Members acting together against an aggressor
Covenant / Charter	Founding documents of the League / UN
Sanctions	Economic penalties
Mandate	Former colony run by a League member under supervision
Veto	Right of a permanent member to block a decision
Peacekeeping	UN forces supervising ceasefires and protecting civilians
Identity war	Conflict based on ethnic or religious identity

Worked example: explain two ways different

Explain two ways in which the UN in 1950 was different from the League in 1931. (6 marks)

1. Membership: in 1931 the USA was not a member and the USSR had not joined; in 1950 both were permanent members of the Security Council.
2. Force: in 1931 the League could only condemn Japan over Manchuria; in 1950 the UN authorised an armed force to defend South Korea.

Essay plan in outline

“The UN was more successful than the League in keeping the peace in the years 1919–2011.” How far do you agree?

• For the UN: wider membership including both superpowers; peacekeeping forces; successes in Korea, Namibia and Mozambique; no third world war.
• For the League (or against the UN): the League’s 1920s settlements; UN failures in the Middle East, Lebanon, Somalia and Srebrenica; the veto paralysed the Council in the Cold War; Kosovo and Iraq bypassed it.
• Judgement: the UN lasted and achieved more, but both depended on great-power agreement.

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Saying the League had a veto by name. Its Council worked by unanimity, which had the same effect.
• Treating the agencies as minor. They were often the most successful part of both organisations.
• Forgetting the USSR’s boycott in 1950. It explains how the Korea resolution passed.
• Narrating cases without judging success. Always say how far each succeeded.
• Stopping at 1989. Topic 5 runs to 2011.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the USA not join the League? The Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, fearing foreign commitments.

What made the veto a structural problem? Any permanent member could block action, especially against itself or its allies.

Why was Mozambique a success? Both sides wanted peace, the mandate was clear and elections were held.

Source

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History (4HI1) specification, Issue 5, February 2026, Paper 2, Breadth Study B5.