The League of Nations economic sanctions Cover Image

Ekonomske sankcije Društva narodov
The League of Nations economic sanctions

cases of the Kingdom of SCS and the Kingdom of Italy

Author(s): Marjan Malešič
Subject(s): Pre-WW I & WW I (1900 -1919), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939)
Published by: Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino
Keywords: League of Nations;Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; Kingdom of SCS; Kingdom of Italy;economic sanctions; border dispute;military aggression;Yugoslavia 1918-1941;

Summary/Abstract: The territory of contemporary Slovenia, as a part of other state formations, has been an object of international community sanctions on several occasions in the last century. Our analysis encompasses two cases, in which the League of Nations introduced sanctions, namely threat of sanctions and the initiation of procedure against Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1921 due to its violation of state border with Albania set in 1913 and its military incursions on Albanian territory, and economic sanctions against Kingdom of Italy due to its military aggression against Abyssinia in 1935. The former case was a success because sanctions did have an effect and they brought about a solution of the problem even before they were formally introduced whereas the latter was a failure because it didn’t stop military aggression. The reasons for the success in the case of Kingdom of SCS are above all in less ambitious objective, in concordance of the League of Nations member states and in vulnerability of the object state, whereas the reasons for the failure of the Italian case were in inconformity of objectives and means, the former being too ambitious compared to the means applied, in the lack of concordance and decisiveness of the League of Nations member states, in non-comprehensiveness of economic sanctions, in the role of third parties and in nationalistic response of Italy to the sanctions.

  • Issue Year: 54/2014
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 124-141
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Slovenian