The Mandate System

Article 22, Covenant of League of Nations, T of V

To those colonies and territories, which as a consequence of the late war have ceased to be under the sovereignty of the states which have formerly governed the, and which are inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world, there should be applied the principle that the well-being and developments of such peoples should form a sacred trust of civilization, and that securities for the performance of this trust should be embodied in this covenant.

(Mandate)

Treaty of Versailles, 1919

• Condemn secret agreements (Hodder)
• Mandates --> Allies do not have to give up land completely
• Mandatory powers required to send reports once a year
• 3 classes of mandates
• Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916 (Course Companion)
• As described by Robert Lansing, member of the United States Commission, in 1921

“In the tentative distribution of mandates among the Powers, which took place on the strong presumption that the mandatory system would be adopted, the principal European Powers appeared to be willing and even eager to become mandatories over territories possessing natural resources which could be profitably developed and showed an unwillingness to accept mandates for territories which, barren of mineral or agricultural wealth, would be continuing liabilities rather than assets.”

Woodrow Wilson: Ideas for Peace

• Self-Determination: let the people choose
• All secret agreements must end (Point 1)
• Resolution of colonial issues must be accepted by the colonial people (Point 5)

• League of Nations to work out conflicts, collective security (Point 14)
• Path to lasting peace

Conclusion

• International recognition ensured care taking of mandate countries by mandate keepers
• Arab Anti-Ally sentiments (no immediate independence --> Jewish homeland)

• Hurt German economy and pride

“Thus under the mandatory system Germany lost her territorial assets, which might have greatly reduced her financial debt to the Allies, while the latter obtained the German colonial possessions…” – Robert Lansing 1921

• Introduced but also restricted self determination
• Attempt at making peace but ruled by self-interest
• Not successful at keeping global peace but was valuable to individual mandates (Improved infrastructure and world recognition/trade)

Class A Mandates

(League)

• Most "ready" for independence
• Areas formerly controlled by the Ottoman Empire (Snyder)
• Advanced class
• Conditional independence recognized
• Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan (Britannica)

• McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, 1915-16.

• Balfour Declaration 1917.

• San Remo Conference 1920.

Class B Mandates

(Mandate)

• Former German territories in the Sub-Saharan regions of West and Central Africa (Snyder)
• Enforced rules to protect native people (eg. no military or naval construction by the power)
• France and Great Britain intentionally restricted their mandates to remain Class B (Hodder)
• Exploitation of resources

(Holt)

Class C Mandates

Establishment and Implementation

• According to the League of Nations, functioned best under supervision
• Resources exploited
• Formerly German territories
• "Colonies" of the Mandate Powers (Snyder)
• South West Africa, New Guinea, Western Samoa, the islands north of the Equator in the western Pacific, and Nauru (Britannica)

• Mandate: territory assigned to a supervising power by the League of Nation (Companion)
• After the war, France, Great Britain, Japan colonized land
• Secret agreements between Allies
• Treaty of Versailles assigns mandates
• Woodrow Wilson promotes self determination

(Snyder)

(Mandate)

Benefits of Mandate System

• The League of Nations ensured that the countries in charge of the mandates were held accountable and responsible for the mandates.

• The mandate-keepers improved the infrastructure, (such as roads), and established trade with their mandates.

Disadvantage of Mandate System

• Cover of promoting self-determination.

•Extreme Arab nationalism and anti-British and anti-French sentiment.

• Robert Lansing, 1921:

“Thus under the mandatory system Germany lost her territorial assets, which might have greatly reduced her financial debt to the Allies, while the latter obtained the German colonial possessions…”

The colonies though small provided Germany with raw resources for her industry.

• Both Italy and Japan were disappointed

• The mandate-keeper had the power to decide if a mandate was prepared for independence

The Mandate System

1919-1936

Elizabeth and Nandini